


The Life We Live

by midofthenight



Series: The Life We Live [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Angst and Drama, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Comfort, Developing Relationship, Drama & Romance, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Enemies, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, Original Character(s), Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Pre-Time Skip, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Romantic Fluff, Romantic Soulmates, Slow Burn, Spoilers for Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-06
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-08 07:33:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 22,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26848219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midofthenight/pseuds/midofthenight
Summary: Emersyn was no stranger to moving. She hated it, but she knew in the long run it was going to be worth it. Garreg Mach was ginormous, but it was her home for now and she had to make the best of it. She has her friends, so what more could she need? More importantly, what could go wrong?
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Life We Live [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1958512
Comments: 4
Kudos: 13





	1. Seeds Planted In A New Home

**Author's Note:**

> The OC that I have created is related to Sylvain. They are cousins and it is explained a bit more in the chapter. I didn't want to just have a "random" person show up in the Blue Lions, I wanted there to be a connection between them in some way. I am trying to stay on path with what is canon, but I will take some liberties with new scenes and interactions if that is okay. I want to have a few chapters of pre-time skip and then focus on post time skip and post-war as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoy this chapter! It was cute and fun to write! 
> 
> I have come to a bit of a situation when writing this pre-timeskip story and would love feedback. 
> 
> I don't want to do a re-write of every single month, but I don't know if writing a flashback/skipping months would go with the flow. The next chapter is going to be dealing with the Remier Village situation with Dimitri, but I also want to do a bit of a flashback to the battle with Miklan. Maybe I'll make Remire village be post-battle so we can see Dimitri's façade slip. All I know is that pre-timeskip STOPS at chapter 10 and I don't know what to include. 
> 
> Like I said, feedback is greatly appreciated!!

The air was cold and crisp, stinging the ears and noses of those who stepped outside of the warmth of their homes. Though it was almost the middle of spring, the fridgedness of winter still attempted to hold its control of the land during the night time where the sun could not be seen. Despite the sharpness of the air, the night time during spring was when the world was at its most peaceful. Summer nights were too noisy with people roaming anywhere and everywhere; autumn evenings were always busy with people preparing for the frost that was due during the late nights; and winter was just… sad. No life; no noises. Spring may also be quiet and cold, but at least there were things coming back to life, and in a sense, hope. 

With the light and the warmth of the welcoming celebration in the reception hall at her back, Emersyn leaned against the balcony that overlooked the town below. While the warmth felt nice, the cold was something that she was used to after growing up in the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus. Everyone was to be prepared for the ill-tempered weather the kingdom was always subjected to, and this mentality followed Emersyn everywhere she went. Pulling her coat closer to her, Emersyn watched as the lights in the windows of the town below went out one by one. The town was falling asleep while the party behind her was still going strong though it was just getting past midnight. This would be her new home for the foreseeable future, and then she would be back with her family in the Kingdom Capital of Fhirdiad where she would serve the royal family -- at the wish of her father and mother. 

“Shouldn’t you be back inside enjoying the party? Word has it Sylvain looking to challenge you to a sweets eating contest,” A voice said from behind her. 

Not hearing the footsteps approach from behind, Emersyn was startled by the voice and turned to see the young Prince Dimitri standing in the light of the room behind him. Though it was hard to see with the shadow, Emersyn would make out a small smile on his face in the moonlight. 

“I should be asking you the same. You should be mingling with your future subjects and allies,” Emersyn said turning back around to face the town. “Plus, I am not really feeling up to eating all of those sweets. Might need to make a rain check with Sylvain for another date.” 

Dimitri chuckled. “You’re right, but even kings, present and future, need a bit of a break from diplomacy talk.” He made his way over to where she was standing and stood next to her and faced her slightly. “However, you seem different. Not taking Slyvain up on his ridiculous bets is very unlike you.” 

Emersyn turned her head to see the concerned look Dimitri had on his face. He was right, she never backed down from a bet from Slyvain. It had been a running joke between the two going back since they were children; challenging each other to obscure bets and challenges and not caring who won. It had become such a thing that everyone in the Blue Lions was anticipating what the next idiotic challenge was going to be so when one or the other denied a challenge there had to be a legitimate reason for it. What made it seem more out of the ordinary was when Dimitri himself became involved and started asking questions. 

Emersyn sighed and turned back and looked out over the balcony. She knew there was no point in lying to Dimitri. He knew her well enough and most likely could figure out why she wasn’t her normal self if he sat and thought about it. She couldn’t blame him for being oblivious. He was focusing on the kingdom he was due to lead after graduation, and she was sure that it came with enough stress that he wasn’t intentionally ignoring it.

“Moving has always been hard,” She began, looking down at her hands that were clasped and resting on the balcony. “Father had just returned less than a month from whatever excursion Uncle had him on, and now I had to uproot myself and move South for the academy. Before that, we had _finally_ settled into life in the capital before father was whisked away _again_.” 

Dimitri could feel the distaste and anger in Emersyn’s voice and he felt for her. She was not as fortunate as the others in the Blue Lions to have a steady and more permanent home. Her father, Simon Oliver Gautier, was at the whim of his eldest brother -- the current Margrave of House Gautier. The current leader of House Gautier was known to harbor prejudice against those born without a crest -- disowning his own son in favor of another and the favored son happened to be the one and only Slyvain. Rumors had gotten around among other nobles in the land that the Margrave engages in this behavior with his younger brother to make himself feel as though he is a king, picking on the weaker citizens of the land. Given House Gautier’s location and necessity against the clans in the Sreng it was important to not upset the House ruler, but Dimitri was able to get his uncle to persuade the Margrave to relocating his younger brother to the kingdom capital under the guise that he would be worked much harder, and longer for the king. What the House Lord did not know was that after his final request Simon and his wife were to retire peacefully in the inner circle of the city and occasionally attend meetings in the palace to make the lie that much more believable. However, Emersyn did not know that. She was unaware of the deal struck between her father, uncle, and the king regent and Dimitri planned on keeping it that way for as long as he could. 

“It’s going to be hard for a while, and it’s okay to feel homesick, but remember that your parents are _so_ proud of you. You represent House Gautier along with Sylvain and are working towards being an amazing noble. Plus, you have us to keep you company and lean on when needed,” Dimitri said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. 

Emersyn glanced at the hand resting on her shoulder and up to meet his gaze. Such kind and caring eyes, which a touch of concern, looked back at her. Emersyn kicked herself a bit for even thinking that the future king wouldn’t care about one of his future advisors, or anyone for that matter.

 _But she knew better_. 

He had changed; a darkness could be seen in his eyes which once were bright and lively. After the death of his family, Dimitri had slowly begun to close himself off to those around him. Emersyn did not want to downplay the severity of losing your entire family had on one’s mental health, and the pressure of ascending to the throne at a young age did not help the situation, but things were changing within the young prince and she did not think it was for the better. 

“Thank you, Your Highness,” she replied, with a soft smile, placing her hand upon his and pushing the thoughts of Dimitri’s potential darkness out of her mind. “I’m sure once I settle in things will become easier and my new ‘normal’.” 

Dimitri returned the smile equally as soft and moved his hand to where it was cupping her elbow and gave it a comforting squeeze. The two of them stood in peaceful silence as the party continued behind them. She would have preferred to stay like that for longer, but she noticed a rather large-built figure making its way to the door that led to the balcony. Immediately, Emersyn recognized it was Dedue -- the Prince’s kind and caring vassal. He was never one to leave Dimitri’s side for too long, nor would he let the prince out of his line of sight for long either. He must have noticed Dimitri’s extended absence and went to make sure that he was okay. 

A slight sigh escaped from her, and if Dimitri heard it or not he did not make any expression to show. 

“Good evening, Dedue!” Emersyn called to him, waiving the arm that Dimitri was holding. He followed suit and also waived to his dear, yet protective, friend. “We were just about to head back in for one final go around.”

The two met Dedue in the middle between the doors and the balcony, Emersyn praying in her head to the goddess Dedue did not witness the slightly intimate moment.

“My apologies,” Dedue bowed. Always so formal, she thought. “I was looking for His Highness to inform him of a training expedition the professors had put together with Sir Alois. From what I have heard, it is to occur in two days and the three heirs are to join.” 

_Must be some form of alliance-building exercise_ , Emersyn thought to herself. _It would make sense after all. The three of them would need to work together in the future when they all rule their respective kingdoms_. 

“Interesting,” Dimitri murmured. “Let us get inside immediately. Dedue, would you please direct me to the professors that were having this conversation, and then I must discuss plans with Claude and Edelgard.” 

And with that, the prince and his closest friend rushed back into the party looking for the source of Dedue’s information. Always first to leave when anything remotely important, and never with a goodbye. This was how it was going to be for the foreseeable future, and probably the rest of their lives. Emersyn was going to not only have to get used to living in yet another new place, but slowly watch one of her closest friends drift away into his duties as the heir to the throne. She might not like the idea of growing up, but she was damn sure she was going to hold tight to at least one thing important to her for as long as she could.


	2. A Pleasant Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emersyn spends the day before classes begin at the monastery huddled up in the library and meets a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! Sorry this chapter took some time to upload. Life has been busy and I was only able to write a few paragraphs at a time. I hope you enjoy this chapter!! It's pretty light and gets the plot going. I can't wait to have more... personal discussions later on once we get to the more canon battles and scenes!!!

The party had come and gone, and many students and faculty were paying the price for it the next day. Professor Manuela had placed a note on her classroom door stating that her class would resume at the same time tomorrow as she was feeling… unwell from the previous night’s activities. It had seemed as though _all_ of the professors had taken a day of sickness, which was strange as there apparently was not alcohol served during the festivities. Nevertheless, Emersyn took the day into her own hands -- starting with navigating around the maze that is Garreg Mach. 

Eventually Emersyn found her way to the library, though it was much later than she had initially hoped. For some reason she had walked past the corridor to the library on three separate occasions, not thinking of looking down the dimly lit hallway it was located in. She was also surprised to see the large, beautiful room empty. While this school was full of nobles, and were expected to be the best of the best, they were still just kids and embraced a day off when presented with one. The rows of tables that were on either side of the main path were empty, and from what she could tell, there was no one on the visible floors either. 

_Perfect. Some peace and quiet._

Situated in the furthest corner of the library, Emersyn settled in and began her research. It was late morning when she first arrived, but time moved quickly when you were reading what interested you. When she started, there were just two books in a neat stack next to her on the table, but eventually that amassed into what looked like a fortified wall of books by the time she was ready to leave.

Surrounding her were various books. Ranging from the history of Fodlan to the uses of magic -- ranging from offenses tactics, defensive tactics, and even a book that focused on the older uses of healing magic. 

Emersyn was a trained swordsman. She picked up her first sword before the age of five years old, and now was one of the most proficient swordsmen in the Blue Lions, second only to Felix. Her preferred type of weapon is the broadsword -- favoring the weapon she built with her father, and the help of the royal blacksmith, half a year before she left for stay at Garreg Mach. 

However, she has recently become more interested in magic and its uses. She loved watching Mercedes and Annette practice and watching the magic glow from their hands and around other people, but Emersyn had never casted a spell _once_. 

But now, something the urge to learn magic became more apparent when she arrived at the monastery almost a week ago. Maybe it was being in one of the, if not _the_ , most holy places in the country, or maybe it was being surrounded by new students and watching them practice, she really didn’t know. If she were being honest, it felt more like a _calling_. 

The magic was calling _to_ her and she was diving head first into.

“Is this a new defense tactic?” Someone asked from in front of her wall of books, scaring her nearly half to death. 

Emersyn shot up from her hunched position over her notebooks, her back aching slightly from being in a weird position for hours, to see Dimitri standing on the other side of the table with an older, worn book tucked underneath his arm. The expression he wore was a mix between amused and confused, as if he never seen someone do this amount of research before. 

Emersyn stretched with her arms above her, leaning over the back of the chair to get the knots that were forming in her back out. “Do not scare me like that, Your Highness. Should I have had my sword I might have stabbed you through the opening in my little fortress of books.” 

He responded with a chuckle and sat down in the seat across from her, the wooden chair making a slight scraping noise on the wooden floor underneath it. “I hope you do not mind me keeping you company. I don’t think you have had an interaction with a real person all day.”

_Shit_ , Emersyn thought. _Has it really been that long? I thought it was just a few hours, but it looks like it has been more than half a day._ She began to feel her ears turn red with embarrassment. 

For some reason, her knack for research was somewhat embarrassing for her and she never really understood why. However, she came to the immediate conclusion that it might be due to the fact that she builds herself a new home out of the books she reads. Normally she would have cleaned up her second home before anyone noticed, but she was not expecting guests so cleaning up was not on her mind. And now that _Dimitri_ of all people saw it? She quietly prayed to herself that one of her stacks of books would fall on top of her and knock her out.

“I am _so_ sorry,” Emersyn began, clearing her fortress from her table to allow Dimitri to set whatever books he had with him on it as well. “I was too involved in my studies to notice anyone come by, and to think of it I look like an ass for stealing many of the reason-based magic books from the shelves --” 

She was rambling; trying to both cover her ass and profusely apologized for being an inconsiderate human. All but three were moved to the chair beside her, or the floor if they were too big to be sitting on the chair, and then she began to fidget with the books in front of her. Lifting the hard covers and some pages, Emersyn slowly let the pages go one by one until the cover came down with a light thud, all the while talking Dimitri’s ear off about absolutely nothing.

She wasn’t really sure how long she went on for, but eventually Dimitri put both hands up to grab her attention and calm her down. “Hey. Hey. It’s okay. It was my fault for scaring you, and I should be the one apologizing. You were far more invested into your books than I had thought.” 

Emersyn placed her head in her hands and groaned. She was making a fool out of herself in front of Dimitri; she was making a fool out of herself over _nothing_. Her brain just couldn’t comprehend not overworking and over-analyzing everything.

She wanted to die of embarrassment.

There was a thud on the table and Emersyn looked between her fingers to see Dimitri’s hand resting on the table underneath where her head was. 

“Hey, Emersyn. Look at me,” Dimitri said softly. Slightly lifting her head, she met Dimitri’s concerned eyes looking at her. “Everything. Is. Okay. You have nothing to apologize for. You are still adjusting to a new place, and I caught you off guard. You are going to be okay, don’t worry. Just breathe.” 

The concerned look he had for her last night was on his face once again, causing a slight pang of guilt to run through Emersyn’s body. She didn’t like people worrying about her; she was normally the one taking care of others. This was something Emersyn was working on, but obviously she needed to practice more. 

Dimitri placed a comforting hand on her head, and she had no clue how she managed to keep her composure when he did that. Thank the goddess her hands were hiding most of her face, or else he would have noticed her blushing profusely, though she was sure the amount of heat she was radiating could be felt by someone in the next room over. 

“What are you reading up on? Classes don’t officially resume until tomorrow and I haven’t been notified about assignments due on the first day back,” Dimitri asked as he leaned back into his chair, adjusting his sleeve as he moved.

_Thank goddess he picked up on everything and changed the subject_ , Emersyn thought to herself, relieved. She kept her head a bit lower to allow her face to cool off and even out, as she could still feel herself blushing. 

Picking up the book that was opened in front of her, she showed Dimitri the title. _”The Reasoning For Reason”_. It was a historical text about the origins of reason-based magic, and how it introduced a new way to use magic in an offensive way rather than just defensive. The book also discusses the pros and cons of focusing primarily on reason-based spells, and why having a combination of various spell types was the ideal option. 

Emersyn considered learning a heal spell, which was faith-based magic. It would be useful in combat when she was not close enough to Mercedes or Annette to heal her. That would be something she would ask them to teach her, or at least let her read their books since they attended the school of sorcery back in Fhirdiad. 

“I’ve been really into learning about reason-based magic,” Emersyn began, flipping through the pages to get the table of contents. “It’s weird. Ever since I arrived I’ve had this urge to learn it. Maybe it’s due to how… magical this place is?”

Dimitri leaned in closer, listening intently, and resting his chin on his hands. “Is that so? This place really has a certain _aura_ among it. It’s also smart to learn different styles of fighting because not everything can be solved with a swing of a sword in battle.”

“Try telling Felix that and see how it goes,” Emersyn joked. “I also planned on asking Annie and Mercie if they could teach me some healing spells, too. That way I wouldn’t be as… reliant on them. Especially if we end up getting separated or something.”

“That’s a brilliant idea! I’m sure Annette and Mercedes would love to teach you,” Dimitri said, excitement showing in his eyes. 

Emersyn gestures to the book Dimitri was still holding onto, title not showing very clearly. “What about you? That book is pretty thick.”

“Oh this,” Dimitri began, showing signs of discomfort and holding the book closer to him. “It’s just a book of financial stuff regarding the kingdom. Kind of boring if I’m being honest.”

Though it has been 4 years since their death, any conversations involving Dimitri’s family made him shut down, and close up. Occasionally, there would be a story from his childhood he would bring up, but for the most part family discussions were not on the table unless he specifically brings it up himself. 

“Oh, okay. Makes sense. Kind of need to know what’s going on,” Emersyn looked at the book quickly before changing the subject. “Is it close to dinner time? Are you hungry? I’m _starving_.”

Relief washed over his face. Emersyn knew not to push further and to move the conversation away. One day he would open up to her about his family, and tell her everything. She was the first to change conversation when she noticed him getting slightly uncomfortable, and was just more attentive towards him in general. Aside from Dedue, she was the only one who he felt more at ease with. 

“Yes, actually, I am,” Dimitri stood up, a bit too quickly. “Would you care to join me? I heard from Annette that the dessert for today is saghert and cream and we both know I have a bit of a sweet tooth.”

Emersyn smiled and nodded, putting _”The Reasoning For Reason”_ in her bag along with her pad of paper and writing utensils, and slung it over her shoulder. She also began to pick up the books from the floor and chair and started to put them back in the proper areas of the library. Without warning, Dimitri began to help her put the books away too, asking Emersyn periodically what shelf a book went on when he couldn’t figure it out. 

Two people putting away books made the pile dwindle quickly. Dimitri had put back the book he intended to read, most likely coming back at another time when he wouldn’t be bothered. The two made their way down the hall to the doors of the library, where Emersyn squinted her eyes when Dimitri opened the door for her. Being in the darkness of a library made the sunlight hurt her eyes.

Noticing her discomfort, Dimitri stood in front of her to block the sunlight and allow her eyes to adjust. When she was finally able to see, Emersyn looked up to him and smiled and gestured towards the dining hall that was down below them. 

The two walked together, side by side, talking about Emersyn’s interest in magic and about the training that Dimitri was going to endure tomorrow. This conversation went on for so long that the dining hall was closing for the night and the sun had set an hour prior and was almost dark. 

“You need to go and sleep, Your Highness,” Emersyn motioned to the door. “I assume you’re going to be having an early day tomorrow and I do not want Dedue nagging me about keeping you out so late.”

“Oh!” Dimitri exclaimed, having not realized how late it had gotten. “You’re right. Let’s start heading back.”

He was quick to clean up both yours and his plates before you could object, most likely not wanting to upset the kitchen staff more than they already have. 

The walk to the dormitories was quick, but there were still students meandering around the courtyard so it was not terribly late. The two walked past the Blue Lions’ homeroom area and saw Sylvain, Felix, and Ingrid standing near the door. Sylvain leaned over and whispered something into Felix’s ear, which made the normally reserved man smile a bit. Emersyn thought about curing Sylvain out, but Ingrid must have heard what he said as she turned towards him and slapped him upside his head. She looked over at Emersyn and Dimitri and nodded, and in return they both nodded back at her in thanks. 

“Thank you for keeping me company this afternoon,” Emersyn began when they reached the door of her room. “I would have been there all night if you didn’t stop by.”

She had opened the door slightly to a dimly lit, but noticeably cleanly, room. Not trying to pry into her private area, Dimitri took a glance and then averted his attention to her again, not without notice a small vase of peonies on the desk in the corner. 

“It was my pleasure,” a soft smile formed on his lips. “Maybe when I return from this training, and we get comfortable with our class schedule, we should… spend some time together again.”

Her eyes widened. There was no denying that Emersyn’s face was as red as an apple. She was praying that the lights were dim enough to not notice, but she didn’t have any hope. She needed to meet his eyes, but she thought she was going to melt if she did, but somehow she managed.

“I -- I think that would be nice. I’m sure you will have much to talk about when you return,” Emersyn stammered, attempting to keep her breathing and heart rate calm. 

“Alright then. It’s a date,” He nodded, his smile widening. 

Before she could respond, Dimitri was off to the opposite side of the dormitories and towards the stairs. Emersyn was left standing in her doorway attempting to process the conversation she just had. 

A date. 

A _date_.

Emersyn had a _date_.

A date with Dimitri. A prince. The _future king_ of her country. 

How did this happen?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know what you think!! I really enjoy these cute, fluffy scenes. I don't want to make the story seemed rushed, but I have an idea for Emersyn and Dimitri's relationship -- especially post-time skip. I'm thinking next chapter is the date? or the chapter after that. Kind of want a more serious chapter thrown in that goes with the plot of the video games. We'll see what happens! Can't wait for you guys to read!!


	3. Flowers that Bloom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The house leaders are off on their bonding expedition, and Emersyn was worried about everyone's favorite Duscurian.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!!! Here is the next chapter! I think this one is a cute little chapter that explains how close Emersyn is with everyone, but especially Dedue and Dimitri. I am thinking of making the next chapter, or the chapter after, the ~~~date~~~ because i LOVE fluffy cute shit lol Enjoy!

The morning that the three future leaders of their respective countries left for their join-training expedition was nothing but chaotic. Knights, in their intricate and beautiful armor were, running about the monastery getting any last minute errands completed. If you weren’t watching where you were going, one of the knights would run right into you and then bolt off without so much as a sorry. 

Poor Sylvain was one of the unlucky souls sent to the infirmary after colliding with a knight who was running a tad bit late. He was fine. The wind was knocked out of him, and his ego took a massive blow, but he should have been paying attention to the world around him instead of the current woman he was trying to woo. 

The goddess was delivering him karma after the comments he made to Felix last night. Sure, Emersyn was worried. She made sure he was conscious and alert while they waited for two medics to arrive. However, once he was out of ear shot, she laughed to herself. Ingrid looked more concerned than she let on to be, but Emersyn assured her that he was going to be fine. She agreed, but also decided to make her way to the infirmary, to make sure that he was okay and to also make sure whatever young, attractive nurse that was taking care of him would be okay, too. 

Poor girl. A knight-in-training, but also a babysitter for one of the most…. Flirtatious men in Garreg Mach. 

Emersyn loved her cousin, but he was too much to handle some days. He had definitely changed in the two years since she had last seen him, but then again, so did everyone else. 

Annette and Mercedes were the two friends that Emersyn saw more regularly than the rest of the group -- the two had attended school in Fhirdiad and regularly saw Emersyn when schedules allowed. Based on how they performed in their mock battles, she assumed that the duo must have graduated near the top, or at the top of their class. They were excellent sorcerers -- handling the pressure that came with learning magic wonderfully. Emersyn wondered if she would even be able to catch up to them once she began her own training. 

Emersyn was also around Felix frequently as they trained together often, though she highly doubted he considered her a friend. Both adept swordsmen, whenever Felix and his father were in the capitol, he made sure that his presence was known and he was looking to spar with his _equal_ , he had called her one time. Emersyn had yet to win against Felix, but given the fact that he kept coming back for more sparring meant that she still presented a welcoming challenge.

When it came to Ashe and Ingrid, she never really talked to either of them until the few weeks leading up to attending the monastery. The rest of the Blue Lions had nothing but wonderful things to say about the two of them, and their word proved to be true. Ashe was a kind and caring young man who came from a less than stellar upbringing to the current heir of the House Gaspard. His skills in archery were better than most, but even with the praise he received he remained humble nonetheless. Ingrid, a childhood friend of Sylvain, was the one whom she thought she would have seen more often growing up, but did not. They had never crossed paths when Emersyn was around her cousin, though she may have spotted her once or twice wandering around the capitol with Felix. 

However, despite having not seen them in person in almost a year and a half, the people that Emersyn really talked with the most were Prince Dimitri and Dedue. 

The three would keep in contact with each other through letters no matter where the other was at the time. Usually Dedue was with the prince so their letters often came together inside the same envelope. Emersyn always looked forward to their letters as they often told her stories of their adventures. Recently, she was a listening ear to the issues Dimitri was facing within the castle -- preparing himself for his trip to Garreg Mach and his Uncle becoming more strict in his preparation for the inevitable transition of power in a few years time. Though her own issues seemed not as important compared to issues revolving around impending kingdom ruling, Dimitri also listened to the problems Emersyn was facing and also provided comfort and potential solutions as well. 

Most Fodlans were still apprehensive about Duscur folks, but Emersyn wanted to make sure that Dedue knew she had no prejudice against him. In fact, she wanted to know _more_ about Duscur and its culture. It took some time, but she was able to get Dedue to open more about his people and their way of life before the tragedy. In the letters they decided that once they get comfortable with their life in the monastery they would make authentic Duscur dishes together. 

Emersyn needed to find Dedue after her classes ended for the day to make sure that he was doing okay. He had rarely ever left the Prince’s side, so not being able to lend a hand or protect him is probably making the poor man lose his mind. 

After the classes ended in the late afternoon, Emersyn wandered about the monastery looking for Dedue. After asking a couple of other students, she managed to figure out his location -- the greenhouse. 

She should have known better. It was that obvious.

Deduce _loved_ gardening. It only made sense that he was gardening to preoccupy his time.

Entering the greenhouse Emersyn spotted Dedue crouching over a flower in the far left corner of the building. She was not being quiet as she did not want to scare him, but she did stand behind him watching intently for some time. 

“Can I help you?” He asked, his focus still on the flower he was tending. It was a beautiful flower; one that did not grow in Fodlan naturally. 

“Not really,” She began. “I came to check up on you and see how you were doing.”

“On me? I can assure you that I am quite fine. I appreciate the concern.”

“That is not what Felix was saying earlier.” Dedue turned his head slightly, looking at her from the corner of his eye. “He said that your ‘game was off’ when you two were in combat practice this morning. Plus, Annie said that you were less talkative than normal during lunch duty.”

With a sigh he stood up, brushed his hands on his pants, and turned to face her. His face was a combination of annoyance, but also concern -- something that he wore quite often. He was a man of few words, but when he becomes more comfortable with a person, he becomes a man of many words. Thankfully, he and Emersyn were close enough where their sentences were more than just a couple of words. And, over the years, she learned just how interesting Dedue really is. 

“If you are wondering how I am faring with the absence of His Highness, you should know that I am fine.” 

Despite the closeness between the two, Emersyn still could not tell when he was lying. He was too stoic and hardly ever changed his facial expression. However, Emersyn knew that he was worried, but to the extent of which she could not figure out. 

“I was just making sure, Dedue. I know how you can get when it comes to his safety. This is the longest the two of you have been separated in many years,” Emersyn said, a bit more defensive than she intended to. 

Dedue picked up on the slight change in the tone of her voice. “I mean no offense. I am truly grateful you came to make sure I was okay. I just wanted to let you know that I am fine. I know that His Highness will be protected.” 

Emersyn gave him a soft smile. He meant well, and she knew it. One of her more unfavorable flaws is getting immediately defensive when the tone of the conversation drops a bit. That was something that she needed to work on, but that was not going to be happening today. 

Emersyn looked behind Dedue at the flowers he was tending to before she came into the greenhouse. They were definitely not from the land, and were so bright and full of color that it was difficult to explain. Bright blues, reds, and yellows were so contrast to the more dull, grey-ish tones of the greenhouse. The flowers did not fit in at all, but they sure did make the place brighter. 

Dedue noticed Emersyn’s gaze gravitate toward the flowers he was working on. “Those are flowers from Duscur. They are incredibly beautiful, but require a bit more work.” He knelt down and cupped one of the blue blossoms in his hand. “Personally, I think the blue one is the brightest of the colors. There are more colors than the ones here still thriving in the Duscur region. I was grateful enough to find these seeds, so I’m not complaining.”

He began to go into the details of the colors and what they represented in Duscur culture. Whatever color you were gravitated towards defined you in some way, he had mentioned. The two wandered about the greenhouse and eventually the conversation changed from facts about the Duscur flowers, to facts about most of the flowers that were growing in the building.

“Is there a color that you prefer?” Dedue asked. Emersyn wasn’t sure if he were referencing the flowers from Duscur, or the colors of the flowers around them. There were so many colors around them it was slightly overwhelming. She also had never really thought about her preferred color; there was never really any time growing up to get attached to something that specific. Not to mention she wouldn’t be wearing “normal” clothes for quite some time, especially once she graduated from the academy and took her position within the kingdom. 

She moved her gaze towards the ground, brows furrowed -- her thinking face. No matter the situation Emersyn had an expression for everything. It was common knowledge around the Blue Lions not to bother her when she bore her thinking face as she was deep in thought and would get upset if her train of thought was interrupted. 

Emersyn was not going to leave until she gave Dedue an answer… and she did just that. 

Her moment of realization came to her when she glanced up towards the next batch of flowers they were walking towards: Peonies. 

In that grouping was a specific color that she always tried to get her flowers in; a pinkish-purple that was not too purple, but also not too pink. Almost a perfect combination of the color lilac and the color mulberry. 

Picking up speed slightly, Emersyn walked over to the flowers ahead of Dedue to point it out. 

“This,” She cupped the specific color in her hands, delicately. “This is my favorite color. I don’t think it has a name, so that’s why it was hard to pick out. It’s also a color only found in my favorite flower, too.” 

“Peonies,” Dedue noting the flower resting in her hand. He brushed his fingers along the peonies that were potted above her, taking in their detailed petals. 

Emersyn gave Dedue a broad smile, and in return he gave a softer, more gentle smile. 

_Progress_. 

Before being able to respond, the bell from the church began to ring -- signalling the official end of the school day, but also time to head to the dining hall to prepare for the upcoming meal. This week for meal prep it was the Blue Lion’s turn to get the meals ready with the kitchen staff, and the helpers for this day was, coincidentally, Dedue and Emersyn. 

“It seems as though we should be heading up to the dining hall,” Dedue began. “Annette and Mercedes might start snacking on the ingredients for the day’s desserts if we do not hurry and swat them away.” He began making his way towards the dining hall as Emersyn fixed the flower she moved slightly out of position.

_Did Dedue just make…. A joke?_ Emersyn thought to herself. _Time to make another mental note about the things Dedue is very serious on -- gardening, and apparently kitchen prep manners_.

Little did anyone know, this was going to be one of the last few days of calm before the storm started to make its appearance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! you made it to the end of the chapter! How did you like it??? Do you have any suggestions?? I plan on getting into the battles soon, too. Need to update my little flow chart of events because now we're getting into the actual canon stuff in the game.


	4. A Slight Bit of Chaos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The house leaders when on their excursion, but ultimately ran into trouble and caused the rest of the student body to ~panic~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! it's been about a month since I posted last. work got soooo difficult and busy, and the election has also kept me busy as well. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter. there isn't much dialogue, but it does start getting into the story of the game now, so we are going to be starting to progress!!
> 
> I hope you enjoy!!!

The house leader’s excursion was meant to last only three days. Those three days were to be filled with leadership exercises, weapons handling, and general high-nobility skill building. However, things went awry in the afternoon of the third night when the group was supposed to be on the way home. No one knew what was going on, but when the group had not returned back to the monastery by dusk like they were supposed to, the town and school went into red alert. 

Archbishop Rhea summoned the knights to patrol the grounds outside of the town and down the well-worn path into the surrounding forests while the students were obeyed to stay within the school grounds -- visiting the town was also forbidden at this time. If they weren’t in their rooms, the students were in their respective house homerooms anxiously waiting for the house leaders to walk in. No one dared to stray much farther in fear of being scolded by the knights patrolling or by the other faculty. 

The Blue Lions sat quietly around the fireplace in their homeroom impatiently waiting for a sign that Dimitri had returned. Everyone kept themselves busy in some way, but mostly just fidgeted in their seats. No one dared to say a word to Dedue -- it was an unspoken rule. His eyes were filled with distraught and anger, though his face did not match. He had yet to sleep and the rest of the group could tell. At the window to the courtyard was where he had been sitting since the red alert the night prior. Waiting. Occasionally Annette or Mercedes would bring him something small to eat and something to drink from their own lunches they had brought down with them. Not a word of thank you, but at least he nodded in appreciation.

Emersyn wanted to comfort Dedue, but she knew that it would not be the smartest thing to do. This is what he does when he is upset or worried, so it was best to leave him alone and she made sure that the others kept their distance. 

It was around mid-afternoon before the search party returned, and it was around mid-afternoon when the chaos began.

When the group was initially declared missing, the citizens within Garreg Mach and the town were distraught, but also adhered to the commands of the knights. They wanted to make sure there were no problems when it came to locating the groups. However, once the horns from the returning search party declaring the group found, townsfolk and students alike descended on the main streets in hordes. 

It was like welcoming soldiers back from a battle, but for three seventeen-year-old kids. 

The knights were able to keep the citizens of the town along the sides of the main road, while the students kept closer to the monastery. The Black Eagle had congregated in the monastery market near the path to town, while the Golden Deer were already halfway between the market and the town. The Blue Lions opted to stand around the steps of the entrance to the monastery itself and wait for the procession to make its way to them. 

Emersyn could estimate the location of the caravan based on how loud the cheers became. Once they had entered the town gates, the cheering became incredibly loud. Now, the cheering was slowly getting closer every minute. 

Looking over at Dedue, she could tell that he was growing more impatient. His fingers tapped on the granite bannister in an attempt to appease it. The fact that Dimitri was right there, but not at the same time, was killing him. Glancing over at the rest of the group, Annette and Mercedes were sitting on the steps and huddled next to one another talking quickly and quietly. Sylvain, Felix, and Ingrid were leaning against the bannister on the opposite side from where she and Dedue stood. Though the two boys did not show it, especially Felix, she could tell that they were anxious for his return.

The cheers from the townspeople died off. Emersyn assumed it was to keep crowd control inside the monastery walls, but those minutes of quiet felt incredibly long. However, it was the Golden Deer’s cheers and hollers from outside the walls that made everyone realize just how close they were. 

Annette and Mercedes had gotten up and made their way towards the bottom of the steps while the rest moved from their respective bannisters and met in the middle. Emersyn stayed a bit behind and stood near the top of the steps. 

Emersyn could _feel_ her heart beating faster with excitement. It felt like it was going to burst. They were so close she could almost feel it. 

The creaking of the monastery doors was what she heard first, followed by the hooves of the mounted knights storming in. Emersyn did not realize just how many knights were sent out to find them. At the end of her count, there were a total of 24 knights that made their way through the doors. Behind them on foot were the house leaders and Alois. She easily spotted Dimitri due to the fact that he was one of the tallest in the group, and his blond hair stood out in the sun. He was engaged in a deep conversation with an unknown person that stood between him and Claude; Edelgard bending over to also be included in the conversation. She was not much older than them, but Emersyn could tell something was different about her. With Alois was another older looking man. The two seemed to know each other based on their body language.

Annette and Mercedes were the first of the group to start cheering.

Their cries of _’Dimitri!’_ , along with the violent waving of their arms, seemed to have gotten his attention, though he did not know which direction it was coming from. Noticing that they gained a bit of his attention, Sylvain also joined in and loudly yelled Dimitri’s name while waving his right arm in the air -- hoping his height made him more noticeable. 

The loudness of Sylvain’s voice seemed to have done the trick as Dimitri focused his attention on the steps rather than the alleyways and returned the waves to Annette and Mercedes. 

When the trio made it near the bottom of the steps, the Blue Lions, minus Emersyn, met them in the middle along with the students of the other two houses. 

“I am relieved that the three of them made it back safely,” a soft voice said from beside Emersyn. 

Slightly started, she turned to see the Archbishop Rhea standing beside her though she never heard her footsteps.

“Yeah, me too.” She meant it. She really did. Emersyn did not allow herself to fall into a panic. Though the rest of her friends rightly did so, she felt as though she needed to stay calm and collected for the sake of everyone else. Keeping Dedue from bursting through the homeroom doors to search for Dimitri, to calm down Mercedes who had weeped with worry, was no easy feat. She did not allow herself to relax until the calls from the knights were made, and even then it wasn’t until she laid her eyes on them herself. 

“You can relax now. Release the tension in your shoulders,” Rhea said, placing a hand on Emersyn’s shoulder. The release of tension drained away instantly, and Emersyn released a well-deserved sigh of relief. 

Standing next to the Archbishop like this was something Emersyn could not imagine. The Archbishop was known to mingle and establish friendships with the students, but Lady Rhea was almost other-worldly. She was the ruler of the monastery, and a highly respected religious figure, but she never seemed as though she was part of this world. It felt as though an aura of magic surrounded her that could not be described. Emersyn felt as though she truly did not deserve to be in the presence of such power and grace when she herself considered herself not that religious. Oh how she wished it could be Mercedes here talking to Rhea instead of herself. 

“Do you not wish to greet your house leader with the others?” Rhea asked. 

“No. I’m okay. I don’t handle crowds like that very well.” 

“That is understandable. You must make sure to take care of yourself from time to time, and not just with this crowd here. You must put your needs first, too, Emersyn.”

She felt like she was getting scolded by her mother, but Lady Rhea was right. 

“As right as ever, Your Grace,” Emersyn replied sheepishly, kicking her feet around awkwardly. 

“You will figure it out when you need to the most, but for now please take in this joyous day,” Rhea squeezed Emersyn’s shoulder. “It seems as though someone is trying to get your attention.”

Following her gaze, she saw her classmates now intermingling with the other houses. However, looking slightly out of place, was Dimitri. He gave a slight bow to the Archbishop, and gestured Emersyn down to the rest of them with his head. 

“Go. Have fun. Enjoy the time with everyone together.” Rhea gave a gentle nudge. “The knights and I will now handle the important things, and we shall see what tomorrow brings.” Lady Rhea turned around and made her way back into the great halls without another word, almost as if she were floating. 

Emersyn made her way down the steps to her classmates below. Dimitri opened his arms wide to open up the space to include her, which garnered the attention of the students. In an attempt to remove the attention from herself, Emersyn quickly joined the closest group of students and blended into the crowd once again. 

If you ask the house leaders what happened that caused their delayed return, you would receive a slightly different answer depending on who you asked.

According to Claude, they were ambushed by a band of thieves and when he went to go look for help, Dimitri and Edelgard followed him. However, when you asked Dimitri or Edelgard, they agreed that they were ambushed by thieves, but Claude was _definitely_ running away and not looking for help.

At the end of all three of their stories, however, they all agreed on the fact that two seemingly normal mercenaries came in and saved the trio from the bandits that were pursuing them. Much to everyone’s surprise, the two were actually a father-daughter duo -- Byleth, a quiet and stoic girl no older than 20, and her father Jeralt. Jeralt, as the students and much of the faculty would come to find out, was a former Knight of Seiros who left the monastery with Byleth when she was an infant. No one knows why he left, and he has not spoken about it to his daughter as far as anyone else knew, though Byleth really did not say too much herself to begin with. 

The former knight of Seiros and his daughter arriving at the monastery spread like wildfire among the townspeople, and most likely neighboring villages. Rhea seemed to have taken a keen interest in Byleth, doting on her as if she were her own daughter. Jeralt, on the other hand, attempted to stay as far away from the Archbishop as he could. Unfortunately, he was not able to stay away for too long. Lady Rhea had summoned the faculty into her private office in her chambers to deliver the news. With advice from Seteth, Jeralt was to return to the church leading the knights, while Byleth was to begin instructing one of the house's students. 

Currently, there were two teachers overseeing the three houses when it came to their lessons. Some days Manuela had the Blue Lions sit in on her students’, the Black Eagles, lessons, while Hanneman did the same thing but with the Golden Deer and Blue Lions. With the introduction of a third teacher, whom many deem too young to teach, the Blue Lions would have their own homeroom teacher.

Byleth was to begin her tenure with the Blue Lions at the start of the next week of teaching, giving her the weekend to explore her new home and get accustomed to living in a more structured and lively area. The Blue Lions were an apprehensive group, but were also eager to learn from a young, accomplished mercenary such as Byleth.

All eyes were Byleth and her group of students for the foreseeable future, and not only did they want to make a good impression on their peers, they also wanted to see how Byleth herself was going to handle this new, intimidating situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How did you guys like this?? It's not my ///favorite/// chapter, but I think introducing Byleth and Jeralt was an important part to include. I'm already brainstorming what i want to include for the next chapter 0.0


	5. A Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is working hard in preparations for the mock battle, but sometimes its okay to hang out with your friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Long time no see! I finally finished this chapter and I'm so excited to share it! Please let me know what you think and what I could improve on!

The first month of the new professor teaching at the monastery went as quickly as it came. With the passing of the Great Tree Moon came the blooming of the flowers and the trees that had died off that previous winter. The land surrounding the monastery was full of lush greenery and bright colors from the flowers, leaving a faint sweet smell in the air when the breeze picked up. Much to Emersyn’s delight, the peonies were in full bloom in the greenhouse. She made sure she tended to the flowers in the greenhouse as often as she could, sneaking some flowers back to her room when the head gardener was not looking and giving any extras to Ingrid, Mercedes, and Annette when she could. 

Ending the month was the mock battle between the three houses that the students were looking most forward to. The faculty were looking forward to seeing how the students improved their skills, but they, along with everyone else, were eager to see how Byleth performed in her first month of teaching. Students from the Blue Lions were giving the new teacher immense praise for her lectures, but the leadership is what everyone was hoping to see during the battle. 

The few weeks between the return of the house leaders and leading up to the mock battle were full of long nights and intense training. Hands were calloused and sore; shoulders and legs sore from the constant wearing of armor; headaches from rigorous lectures, mixed with late-night study sessions. There were a few times where a couple of the students accidentally stayed up throughout the nights studying and researching for the next day’s exams. 

Learning a brand new skill in combination with improving the skill she spent almost a decade learning, Emersyn barely had time to catch her breath in those weeks. When she was not buried with her nose in a book studying faith and reason magic, she was sparring with Felix and figuring out new techniques with her sword. Socializing was not on the to-do lists for most days, but luckily the sparring gave her a way to express her anger and frustration in a productive way; Felix’s snide comments only fueled her more. 

Just days before the mock battle Emersyn finally had the day off… sort of. She was more than ready to squeeze in the last bit of training before the end of the Great Tree Moon, but Ingrid and Annette blocked her every attempt.

“Ingrid. Annette. Please, I need to get this last bit of training in. I’m _so close_ to perfecting this technique,” Emersyn said. The doorway out of her dorm room was blocked by Annette and Ingrid. They memorized Emersyn’s schedule and made sure they were ready to ambush her as she was attempting to leave her room.

“It can wait until tomorrow. You’re working yourself to death; you need a break,” Ingrid said. She crossed her arms in front of her and got into a stance that showed she was ready to pounce at Emersyn should she try to evade either of them. “And that’s saying something coming from me.”

“We’re going to force you to have fun!” Annette piped up from the doorway. She had her body in a star formation in the doorway in an attempt to block her from leaving. “You and His Highness must be having a competition to see who collapses from exhaustion first.” 

Emersyn let out a small chuckle, and unhooked the sword and its sheath from her hip and threw it onto her bed. There was no way that she would win against them, at least not cornered in her bedroom like she was. “What do you have planned for us today?”

“Yay!!” Annette cheered before anyone could answer. Ingrid turned around while Emersyn stood on her tiptoes and looked over her shoulder. Annette’s hands were clasped together and was jumping in the doorway. 

“We’re going to the market,” Ingrid said, turning back to face Emersyn, “And I think Annette overheard the sauna in the bathhouse was operational again. 

“It’s _just_ what we need before the mock battle. It’s going to feel _soooo_ relaxing,” Annette sang. She was twirling with excitement as she said that, but suddenly stopped short and stared directly at Emersyn. “And the best part? The boys don’t know anything about it.”

She sounded absolutely giddy with excitement. 

“We all need a break from Sylvain once in a while,” Ingrid waved her hand, ushering Annette out of the room. “Change into something casual. We aren’t going to war yet. Also, get your sauna clothes packed. We can drop them off at mine or Annette's room on the way to the market.”

Emersyn blushed slightly as Ingrid closed the door behind her. She did look like she was ready for combat, but that was only because she needed to get comfortable with using her weapon while wearing some form of armor. 

Taking off the armor on her lower half, Emersyn opted to keep her khaki training pants and brown riding boots on since, unironically, they were the most comfortable pants she owned. She only changed into a loose fitting, light green blouse with a light jacket overtop as it was still cold for most of the day. On one shoulder was her small bag with her summer clothes to wear in the sauna, and draped across her was her satchel with another bag inside to use to carry whatever goods she purchased that day. 

When Emersyn opened her door, Ingrid and Annette were leaning against the bannister waiting, engaged in a conversation about some form of sweets. Noticing the sound of the door opening, the attentioned turned to Emersyn. 

Annette clapped her hands together in excitement. “Perfect! Let’s go! Mercie is waiting for us near the fishing pond and we can’t keep her waiting!” She took off towards the direction Mercedes was at, leaving Ingrid and Emersyn left standing in front of her door. 

“Well,” Ingrid began. “Shall we get going before we’re forgotten about?” She gestured towards Annette, who was already rounding the corner to the main meeting area. With a nod, Emersyn linked her arm with Ingrid’s and began to pull her towards the meeting spot.

The market just down the path to the monastery was lively and bustling with people. Scents of baked goods and sweets filled the air as a light breeze drifted through the main street. The sun, which was partially hidden behind clouds from time to time, was almost up fully in the sky giving the estimated time around noon. Emersyn had no intentions of purchasing anything today; she had spent enough of her allowance on her weapon maintenance and a couple of spellbooks the week prior and had to wait for the next month’s allowance to come in.

During the walk down the path Annette brought up a blouse she had spotted the last time she ventured down to the larger market. Her description of it was a long-sleeved, mid-toned blue blouse made from lightweight fabric -- perfect for wearing during almost any season. 

“I have _so_ many outfits planned with this blouse. _SO. MANY._ ,” she had said during their walk down. “I think it would look wonderful with this skirt I have, though I don’t think I’ll be wearing anything other than training pants most days. I think I could make it work though.” 

“I don’t see why it wouldn’t look fine with these beige pants,” Emesyn said pointing to the training pants she was wearing. “As long as they’re not dirty, they look like almost any other pants… thought sometimes finding a suitable jacket or other covering can be hard to match with it.” 

“I’ve been thinking about that, too. I am most certain that I have a darker brown cardigan to throw over it in the cooler seasons, but maybe I need to expand my clothing options as well.” 

“To be fair, you could buy new pants,” Ingrid noted. “And also buy some more jackets.”

“Ooh, you’re right, Griddy. I need a good wardrobe revam---OH. THERE IT IS!!” The quartet had just entered the marketspace when Annette noticed the blouse she was gushing about placed on a mannequin in front of the shop and made a bee-line right to it. The remaining three girls gave an amused glance at each other and went off after their smaller, more energetic friend.

“Everythings _so_ expensive,” Annette complained, lugging her bag of clothes next to her. 

Annette intended on just purchasing the blouse on the mannequin and then continue on to shop elsewhere. However, the discussion up until she spotted the shop must have influenced her a bit more than intended. What was supposed to take less than ten minutes ended up lasting almost half an hour. In that short time span, she managed to purchase the blouse in second color, a new jacket, and two pairs of casual bottoms to wear on the off days of classes. 

“Maybe His Highness could donate some funds to help clothe his lovely future councilmembers,” Mercedes joked. 

“Or… you know… learn how to not impulse buy?” Ingrid chimed in. 

A groan escaped from Annette. “Ugh.. _Don’t_ remind me.”

“You could always turn around and return it?”

“Nooo. I can’t. The shopkeeper looked so excited when I bought a lot of things from them.” 

Emersyn playfully nudged Annette’s shoulder. She was feeling buyers remorse, something that Emersyn knew all too well. “Well, what’s done is done. You were saying how you needed new clothes on the way here, and now here you go! You’ll get your worth from them in no time!”

“You might be right, Emmie. I can’t really change the past.” Annette smiled down at the bag of clothes in her hand. She seemed a bit happier with her purchase after being reminded that it was going to be used soon. 

“What’s next on this ‘Girls Day out’, Ingrid?” Emersyn asked, changing the subject. 

“Well,” she began, peering into her own bag of items she bought. “I am finished with shopping, and I also think Mercie is as well. If you’re finished with your shopping we can drop our items back off the closest dorm room and head over for some lunch before the sauna?”

“I like that idea a lot. I wonder what the chef is cooking up for us today?” Mercedes asked. 

“I don’t think there’s a festival happening so it _just_ might be a surprise meal today.”

It was easy for the four of them to agree on plans; they were all on the same page about almost everything. They all knew each other from being involved in royal politics in some way -- Annette and Mercedes having the closest bond due to them attending the sorcery school together. When the four of them met, a few months prior to moving to the monastery, they immediately hit it off with one another and they were all inseparable. 

The lunch for the day was the ever-popular pheasant roast with a drizzle of berry reduction sauce. It was a meal that they had frequently, but it was delicious all the same. The spices that were rubbed onto the pheasant combined with the scent of the berries were a perfect combination, and the flavor of the two combined was just as delicious as it smelled. Finishing the meal was the favorite among the three -- Sweet Bun Trio. With their sweet tooth as big as their stomachs, the group devoured their own servings of the subtly sweet pastries. A slight competition occurred between Emersyn and Annette as to who would finish the remaining bun that Ingrid couldn’t finish. Rather than watch bloodshed happen in front of her, Mercedes took it upon herself to split the pastry in half -- something neither Annette nor Emersyn thought of in the beginning. 

While the two were focused on their respective halves of their dessert, Ingrid mouthed a _thank you_ to Mercedes. 

Just as Annette mentioned, the sauna in the bathhouse was up and functional. There had not been a formal announcement just yet so it was essentially empty when the girls arrived. While the sauna itself was co-ed, the changing rooms were separate… for obvious reasons. The panelling on the walls fresh lumber -- the sickly sweet smell of pine hung in the air. Placing their belongings in secured cubbies, the girls made their way into the main steam room. They had the entire place to themselves; the last patrons had just left as they were entering so it was still warm inside -- just the way they liked. 

“I’m going to miss this place being empty,” Ingrid commented. She leaned back against the seat behind her, and propped her elbows up. It was calmest she has been in a while. The other three had spread out more in the sauna, enjoying the space and peace for what might be the last time. With the heat, combined with the light haze, the room felt almost like a cozy dream. 

“I’m going to be honest with you guys,” Emersyn said after a while. She was laying across the top bench above Ingrid with a towel underneath her to soak up moisture, arm draped across her eyes. “This was definitely needed. Thanks for dragging me out of my dorm. Goddess knows what I’d be doing if I didn’t join you guys.” 

“Probably attempting to stab Felix or something,” Ingrid remarked.

“Or behind a tower of books in the library again,” Mercedes added.

“Yeah, Emmie, you need to learn to take a break once in a while. You’re just like His Highness,” Annette also added.

A chuckle escaped from Emersyn’s lips. Those three always had each other’s backs in some way. She had to give them credit, however. If she kept working as hard as she had been, she most likely would have been burnt out by the time the mock battle arrived. Throughout the day she began to realize that it was okay to take a breather and that becoming burnt out is not actually ideal. Though it would take some time to convince herself, one odd day out of the month would not be the end all be all. 

“Why _are_ you working so hard, anyway?” Mercedes asked as she poured a cup of water onto the hot rocks. 

“Well, if i'm being honest, I wanted to challenge myself in some way,” Emersyn replied. “I really wanted to learn how to use magic. Faith-based, or reason-based, I want to know it all. Also, it sounds funny saying it out loud to two strong, magic-casting people, but I just _feel_ this urge to learn magic while I’m here, ya know? Like something’s calling me.”

Mercedes leaned in closer, listening intently. “A calling? That’s so interesting! Do elaborate.”

“Well, you three know I’m not the most…. _religious_ person in the world,” Emersyn began, leaning against the seat behind her. “But there’s just this….aura, or whatever, coming from this place. Not saying it’s making me religious, but I do want to learn magic and the history of this place.”

“I think the history of a place can really bring out feelings we don’t normally express. It makes sense. You’re in a new place with centuries, if not a millennium, of history.”

Emersyn chuckled. “Thank you for not judging me, Mercie. I felt dumb for using that same expression when I talked to Dimitri about it. I didn’t think he really _got_ what I was saying.”

“He’s not much of a magic user, so he doesn’t really get it. However, he does try to learn and understand as much as he can,” Mercedes responded.

At some point during their stay in the sauna, the group must have dozed off. Emersyn opened her eyes slightly, both disoriented and a bit faint due to the slight dehydration caused from over exposure in the heat. She nudged Ingrid, who was the closest person to her. “Hey. Ingrid. Let's get going. I think we fell asleep and should get some water before it gets worse.”

Ingrid grumbled in response and turned slightly away from Emersyn to attempt to not wake up. Emersyn nudged her a bit harder, causing her to turn and face Emersyn and glare at her. “Get up, Ingrid. I’ll wake up Mercedes and you wake up Annette. Just be careful though we might be slightly dehydrated.”

Waking up Annette and Mercedes was easier than waking up Ingrid. The two were more responsive and did not give any attitude to being woken up. Emersyn was right about being slightly dehydrated. Once she was getting up and moving, the headache set in. 

With eyes slightly closed, Emersyn cautiously walked back to the changing area with the other three close behind. They rested for a minute to allow themselves to adjust to the change in temperature in the room before walking outside where it was significantly cooler. 

It was close to dinner time when the four began their walk back to the dorms. The air had gotten significantly cooler and it might have posed some problems should they have not waited to get their body temperatures in somewhat of a balance. Further down the path they could see the students exiting their living quarters and making their way towards the dining hall. While they did not feel all too well, Emersyn managed to convince the girls to all stay in one dorm while she went to get them something small to eat. They decided that the dorm they would gather themselves in would be Emersyn’s. It was not the closest to the dining hall, but it was the closest to the other girls’; it was better to have them not walk as far as should they have camped out at either Mercedes’ or Annette’s room. 

It did not take Emersyn long to get a light dinner for everyone -- most of her classmates opted for the heartier meals that the chef provided, while she requested smaller, lighter portions for her and the girls. She also managed to avoid lengthy conversations with the boys of the Blue Lions. They all had asked where they all went, and though it was rude to do, Emersyn explained to them that she didn’t have time to talk as they were still having their “Girls Day” and walked away from them as they were still talking. 

“You know,” Emersyn said, setting her empty bowl on the ground next to her. “This has been such a… great day. I know I said that earlier, but I wanted to say it again.”

“It’s nice to see you actually relaxed and taking some time for yourself. You’re always pushing yourself so hard and are never satisfied it seems,” Annette replied. She took up the space in front of Emeryn’s bed on the flood, her own bowl of empty dinner resting on her knee. 

“Yeah.. yeah.. I know.” Slightly embarrassed, Emersyn rested her head in one hand and flicked her hand in a shooing motion towards Annette. “But, I am going to make a change. This I promise. But, next time we go into town I need to do some clothes shopping, and we all know I’m not the most fashionable of the group.” Emersyn gestured to the clothes she was wearing. 

“What? Are you going to get another pair of training pants, but in a darker color this time?” Ingrid asked snarkily. 

“No, Ingrid, I’m not,” Emersyn shot back. She knew Ingrid was only being sarcastic, but Emersyn was somewhat sensitive about her lack of knowledge when it comes to fashion. It annoyed her that it was something that upset her, but maybe the girls would be able to help her. “I need to purchase ‘normal’ clothes. Like a dress or a skirt. Something pretty, I guess. I figured you guys would enjoy helping me with that.”

“Of course!” Annette proclaimed, putting the bowl on the floor and leaning towards her on her hands and knees. “What’s the occasion?” 

_Shit._ Emersyn thought. _I didn’t think they’d actually ask._

A sense of dread washed over her, and she could feel her heart getting a bit more faster. “Uhh.. Well..”

“Are you going to a party? One that we don’t know about?” 

“No, Annette. It’s.. well --.”

“You have a date,” Ingrid interrupted. 

Emersyn sighed, shoulders slumping slightly. “You’re right. I do have a date.” 

Annette and Mercedes cried in unison. “WITH WHO?!”

Emersyn could not bring herself to make eye contact with any of them. She rubbed the back of her neck nervously as she looked over at the door. It was weird gossiping and getting personal with people. With how often her family moved, Emersyn never really had the time to form close relationships until recently. But, she felt as though she could trust this group and felt they had gotten close enough to become more close worth. “It’s with… Dimitri.”

“No fucking way,” was the the only thing that left Ingrid’s mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!!! I hope you enjoyed! I'm not going to be writing the mock battle, but I think i am going skip a bit ahead to the second moon after the mock battle. I think I'm going to skip to the Tower of Black Winds chapter of the game. I'll still address what happens in chapter 3 and 4, or maybe make it half chapter 4 and then go onto chapter 5? Haven't made an outline for it yet whoops lol
> 
> anyways! see you guys next time I post!!


	6. Apprehensive

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following quarter of a year flies by for the students at Garreg Mach and everything ever so slowly starts to breakdown.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Long time no see! Finally getting back into writing again. After I posted my last chapter for this fic my personal life went down the gutter for a bit and I took solace in other game/fic. Everything is fine now and I am getting into the swing of things. This chapter is a bit rough and a bit over the place, but it felt weird to do a three month time skip from just before the first mock battle to the part of the game where I wanted this story to pick up, which was Verdant Moon., so I did a summary type of thing. I hope you enjoy!

The day of the mock battle was met with a bright, sunny spring day and the morning air was crisp and cold, though it slowly warmed up to a comfortable temperature throughout the day. Riding to the field, everyone was chattering excitedly in the many carriages -- one for each house. However, that did not stop them from yelling across the wide road to one another. The excitement was palpable, but so were the nerves. Knees bouncing as they sat, hair being pulled up and then taken down, only to be put up in yet another updo. Emersyn thought she was going to be sick. Nestled between Ingrid and Annette, she stared at the bottom of the bottom of the carriage to keep her composure. She didn’t even notice her name being called until Annette nudged her. 

“Hey,” she said quietly. “Are you okay?”

Emersyn blinked quickly, pulled from her thoughts. She looked up to Annette’s slightly puzzled look. “Yeah,” Emersyn began. “I was just, uh… lost in my head I guess.”

“That’s completely understandable! I think we’re ---.”

“Don’t tell  _ you _ of all people are nervous,” Felix butted in. He was sitting across from them in the carriage with what Emersyn thought was a permanent scowl on his face. “We’ve spent countless hours training there is no need for you to b---OW!”

Annette kicked his shin hard, cutting off his sentence. As he babied his shin Felix glared at Annette, which she in turn returned with equal distaste. Turning back to Emersyn, she smiled and lightly patted her knee. “Pay him no mind. The rest of us are also nervous.” 

“I know we’re going to win, so the only thing I’m thinking about is the food afterwards,” Sylvain said from the far end of the carriage. “I hope the chefs prepare enough because I know I’ll be  _ starving. _ ”

“I can’t believe food is on your mind when we’re about to be tested on our skills and teamwork,” Ingrid, who was seated between Annette and Mercedes, said with an annoyed tone.

“I am a simple man, Ingrid. Food and girls are my top priority,” he winked. 

Ingrid scoffed in disgust and turned her attention to the Professor, Byleth, who was seated between Dimitri and Felix. “I am so sorry professor. Sylvain’s brain is the size of a walnut. I hope he doesn’t tarnish your view of us.”

The Professor, who was as quiet and stoic since they first met her just weeks prior, only nodded in response. She seldom showed emotion on her face, and rarely did she talk outside of lectures and drills. Though she was quiet, Byleth did not seem cold or distant. Rather, she seemed as though she didn’t know  _ how _ to use emotions. Nonetheless, she was an excellent professor. Teaching was almost second nature to her despite having no experience prior to her tenure at the monastery. Emersyn quite liked the fact that Byleth was straight to the point with her teaching style, and also used demonstrations to create a visual. After the mock battle Emersyn decided that she would see if the professor would be able to help her expand her magic training.

“Emersyn,” Byleth said in her calm voice, “If you’re nervous we can review the plans once more.”

“That was what I was thinking about. I think… and please don’t take this as not having confidence in your instructions, or your ability to lead Dimitri, but I think we need to re-evaluate the approach of the Black Eagles,” Emersyn replied, leaning across Annette to the map that Byleth was opening up on her lap. Guiding her finger from one position to another on the map, Emersyn discussed the current strategy and compared it to the one that was brewing inside her head. Eventually, the rest of the Blue Lions leaned in closer to the discussion between the three of them. 

The reformulation of their approach to the mock battle may have been the key to the Blue Lion’s success. The more aggressive approach to the two other houses was the most logical approach that Emersyn could think of. Previously, the plan was to be more on the defensive and let the two houses dwindle each other’s numbers and then go in for the strike. However, the forcefulness from the Blue Lion’s would have been unexpected and would have caught the others off guard -- and it did. The Black Eagles and Golden Deer suspected that the Blue Lions would have been on the defensive and immediately went for one another, but they were not expecting the rushed attack from the third house and thus were blindsided by the attack and led to their downfall. 

All three houses celebrated that night for their hard work. The dining hall was prepared with various dishes, both warm and cold, and a large table to dessert which was eyed up by both Ingrid and Mercedes almost immediately upon entering the hall. The celebratory dinner lasted well into the night, much like the welcoming celebration. 

For the next few weeks the spirits were high and the students were still buzzing from excitement from the mock battle. They were eager to improve and keep their skills sharp for the next big house battle just months later. However, just two months later, would begin the slow descent into chaos. 

* * *

Rebelling against the church has occurred throughout the history of Fodlan. Major wars occurred prior to the formation of the monastery, and have even occurred after the construction was finished. While the wars were brought upon to dismantle the church, they ended up forming three ruling sectors that were still in power hundreds of years later. But now, challengers of the church are beginning to make noise once more, and they seem to have a  _ much _ stronger backing than what anyone has anticipated. 

Lord Lonato’s hostility towards the church was not a secret. He harbored resentment towards the church after the Knights of Seiros executed his son just seven years prior, but did not engage in any physical conflict. The Church was always prepared for some form of uprising to come from him, so his revolt at the end of the Garland Moon was not surprising. What the Church was not prepared for was just how much influence Lonato actually had. 

Rhea’s request for Byleth and the Blue Lions was to keep the peace and make sure everything was under control when they reached Castle Gaspar. However, as they were making their way through the forest, they had been ambushed by Lonato himself and a group of his men. The uprising was much larger than what was anticipated by the Church and everyone else, thus leaving the students no choice but to engage in combat. 

“We’re…. Just going to subdue them, right? Get them under control for the knights to arrest them?” Emersyn asked quietly, her hand shaking slightly over the hilt of her sword that was in the holster on her side. 

“Judging by their offensive attacks already, I do not think they are going to just throw their weapons down,” Dimitri replied, nodding to the arrow lodged in the tree next to him. “It may be the only option we have.” 

Emersyn swallowed hard. She had never used her sword to intentionally hurt someone before and that made her stomach churn. There was the occasional cut or scrape from her training with Felix, but they were all accidents and barely a graze on the skin. She couldn’t imagine plunging her sword into another person to kill them, at least not yet. 

“Maybe with this fog we won’t have to hurt them. It’s so thick we can barely see in front of us,” Ashe piped up from the right. He was right. The Blue Lion’s could not see no more than ten feet in front of themselves, and that was being generous. 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Ashe,” Felix scoffed, “If this were a full-scale attack, being on the defensive would not work. Plus, they made the first move so we have no choice but to return the favor.”

“You just want to swing your sword and hit something,” Ashe muttered. 

“Yes, but I am also thinking realistically. Lonato knows you’re here and yet he still ordered the first strike. Do you really want to try to talk to someone who is, in a sense, not afraid to kill you?”

Ashe didn’t respond and instead hung his head down. 

“Anyone else notice how this fog is  _ only _ in the confines of this part of the forest?” Sylvain asked, changing the subject. “When we came in, it only seemed to move around the trees almost in a circle?”

“I hate to admit it, but I think he’s right,” Ingrid added, “The weather yesterday or today did not permit for fog to appear, and for it to stay for this long into the afternoon? Weird.”

Emersyn flexed her hand and felt a tingle across her palm. “It’s because it’s a magic fog.” She looked up to find her classmates and Professor staring at her. She could have sworn there was a hint of surprise on Byleth’s face. “I can uh…. feel it. Not physically. It’s hard to explain, but it’s almost energy-like floating in the air.”

“So it wasn’t my imagination,” Byleth said after a moment and looked down at her free hand. “There has been a tingle here and there since we walked in, but it seems you are able to feel it more intensely.”

Emersyn nodded. “It seems so.”

“If this is a magic fog, then there is someone in control -- ,” Dimitri began. 

“And if we can find the person casting the spell and stop them, then the fog will disappear,” Emersyn finished, glancing quickly over at Dimitri to make sure that was his thought as well. 

He grinned and nodded. “Right.”

“Lonato and his men must also be unable to see, but this is their home so they know the land much better than we do and might be able to maneuver around much easier even with the lack of visibility,” Byleth commented. 

“We might need to split up,” Annette quietly added. “One small group goes in search of the person making the fog, and the others quietly make their way down the path.”

Byleth nodded in agreement. “Now we just need to figure out who is going where.”

The creation of the two groups had to be made quickly as Lonato’s troops began to make their way towards them through the fog. Byleth instructed Emersyn, Felix, and Annette to find the fog creator -- Felix for his swiftness, Annette for backup, and Emersyn, who led the group as the tingling in her hand grew stronger the closer she got to the source of the magic. The remaining Blue Lions moved off of the main path and into the forest and made their way towards Lonato, their visibility being reduced even more but it was safer than blindly following the dirt path. 

Despite the apprehensiveness most of the group had, some students unfortunately had to confront and kill Lonato’s men or else their presence would be known. In order for the fog to dissipate, Felix had to bring down the mage causing it as it was bound to their will. Emersyn and Annette both turned away as to not see it, but that did not stop them from hearing the puncture of the sword into the mage’s body and last gasps of breath. Sylvain and Byleth took down the archers hiding amongst the bushes as Dedue handled the lone armored knight in the mix. When it came to taking down Lonato, Ashe attempted to plead with his adopted father to stop, but no words were able to sway him. Despite his efforts to de-escalate the situation, Ashe could not bring himself to take him down. The killing strike upon Lonato came from Dimitri who, much to the distaste of Felix once he found out, did not seem to hesitate as everyone else did. 

Catherine met with the Blue Lions shortly after the fall of Lonato to inform them that the castle had finally become secure. Most of Lonato’s forces were eliminated, but the few that survived had been taken into custody and were on their way back to the monastery for judgment. As the group made their way back to the monastery themselves, Byleth made sure to check on each of the students individually. Physically, most were okay. Minor scrapes and bruises were to be expected, but nothing major was injured. Mentally and emotionally… varied depending on the person. The students were still in a state of shock, but deep down they knew this was eventually going to be an inevitable future once they began to either work for the Royal Family or oversee their own House and surrounding land. Still Byleth consoled each one in her own, expressionless way and allowed them to express the emotions they were currently feeling. 

* * *

The next month passed in a blur and the monastery was on high alert. Upon returning back to the monastery a sealed letter was found on Lonato’s body that seemed to outline an assassination attempt on the Archbishop. According to the letter it was to happen on the Goddess’s Rite of Rebirth, but the location was still unknown. As the month progressed, the Blue Lions slowly pieced together the most likely location of the attempt -- the Holy Mausoleum. The battle did not disturb the Rite of Rebirth, but it did show the Church that an enemy far more powerful than a high-ranking lord and his rebellion was beginning to come into play as seen by the terrifying Death Knight watching over as an unidentifiable mage was breaking into the coffin of Seiros. This battle also uncovered a bit of mystery surrounding Byleth’s past though it did not uncover much. Hanneman discovered she was a descendant of a powerful king and inherited their Crest of Flames -- a much long-forgotten crest in Fodland -- thus allowing her to use the Heroes Relic exhumed from the coffin. 

And yet, despite these new revelations, nothing changed, but the thought of the Death Knight lingered in the back of everyone’s minds and classes resumed as normal.

The girls of the Blue Lions were having the first of their twice-weekly studying sessions in Emersyn’s room. With summer in full force the coolest rooms to study in were those on the lower levels, and since Emersyn was not of high nobility her room was the perfect gathering point for study breaks. The lone window and door were wide open and allowed the light summer breeze to float through. 

“How has your magic come along, Emmy?”

Emersyn looked up from her book on the history of Seiros to find Mercedes peeking over her own copy at her. 

“It’s a bit….weird,” Emersyn sheepishly replied. 

Mercedes closed her book and gave her a confused look. “How so?”

“Well,” Emersyn began, “I haven’t really made progress on learning  _ Heal _ . For some reason, faith-based magic just isn’t clicking like reason-based is. However, I can do this.” 

A faint glow began to shine from Emersyn’s hand and the book she had been reading began to float in front of her, encased in the same faint glow as that came from her hand. Though her focus was on her book, she could see from her peripheral that her trick gained the full attention of Annette, Ingrid and Mercedes. The book gracefully floated above their heads for a moment before Emersyn carefully slid it into an open slot on the bookshelf that Ingrid was leaning on. 

“I want to practice on moving the object faster, and hopefully increase the amount of weight I can hold,” Emersyn went on, carefully inspecting her hand. 

“That was --,” Ingrid began.

“SO. COOL!” Annette interrupted, her eyes wide with eagerness. 

Emersyn could feel the heat rushing up the back of her neck. She had been able to make things float for a while, but was not confident enough to really show it off. One time during her training she was laying on her bed with a floating book above her face and the sudden knock at her door broke her concentration and it fell onto her face, thus causing a bloody nose. She said a book from her shelf fell onto her face, not one floating above her. 

“Does anyone else know?” Ingrid asked. “Like Professor Byleth or Manuela?”

“No, I haven’t told them yet. I was thinking of asking one of them for some advice after the lecture on Sunday,” Emersyn replied. “I know Professor Byleth doesn’t really use magic, but she’s really knowledgeable and might know  _ something _ about faith-based magic.” 

“I know you’ve been studying faith-based, but, and I need you to hear me out, what if your body is telling you that it doesn’t  _ want _ to learn it?” Annette asked. “I remember you saying one time that you weren’t the most religious person out there, so maybe that’s what is causing the block? Mercie practically grew up in the Church, and my father is a devout believer, so maybe that’s why it's easier for us to learn it? Just a speculation.”

Emersyn sat for a moment thinking about what Annette was saying. It was true that she wasn’t much of a religious person, but she never really thought that it would be a hindrance on her learning. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that it might be true. 

“Annette!” Emersyn exclaimed, quickly grabbing the girl’s shoulders. “I think you’re right!”

“Really?!” She beamed. 

“For a while I wanted to be able to heal myself and others if we were in combat, and I was getting frustrated as to why I could not seem to grasp it. But it makes sense as to why I can’t.”

“Don’t forget Mercie and I will be right there with you if you need a quick heal!” 

Emersyn looked over at Mercedes, who in turn nodded in agreement. 

“I have another question,” Annette stated. Emersyn turned her attention back to Annette, who was wearing a sly grin on her face. “Does His Highness know?”

Emersyn let go of Annette and buried her face in her hands, cheeks already burning a bright red. “No,” she groaned, face still buried. “He doesn’t know.”

“I have an even more important question,” Ingrid second. Though she could not see her face, Emersyn could tell just by her voice that Ingrid was wearing the same grin Annette was wearing. “Have you two went on your date?”

Emersyn’s head snapped up, eyes wide and staring directly at Ingrid. “Ingrid! Shh!” She shrieked as she waved her hands in her face. “The doors are open and someone might  _ hear _ you.” 

“I think more people heard you screaming, and you still didn’t answer my question.”

Emersyn sighed and sat on the edge of her bed and rested a cheek in her hand. “No, not yet.” 

“What?!” The three exclaimed in unison. 

“It’s been two months!” Mercedes added. 

“I know. I know. We’ve just been busy and have not been able to actually have a conversation outside of lessons or training,” Emersyn replied.

Ingrid scoffed. “That’s a poor excuse… on his part, not you.”

“What if it was just something he asked out of politeness?”

“Bullshit. He is totally into you. He’s just dense.”

Emersyn looked up at Ingrid, who was standing over her. The expression that she was wearing showed that she did not believe Ingrid. She lightly poked Emersyn’s forehead and smiled. “Maybe if you weren’t so buried in your notes during lecture you would notice that he’s always taking glances over at you when he can.” 

“Or the fact that he’s always within reach of you when we’re all together,” Mercedes added. 

Annette grinned and leaned in next to Ingrid. “And I don’t think that hug after the mock battle was very, uh, platonic.”

Emersyn shooed them away with her hands. She could feel her heart beating faster, almost excited. “Alight, alright you may be onto something.  _ But _ , we have all been busy to even really have down time. Do I bring it up? Or do I let him do it?”

“Like I said, he’s a bit oblivious to these things. Dense,” Ingrid began. “I’ll bring it up to him -- Emersyn, don’t give me that look just listen -- I’ll mention the weather and how it’s nice and how you’re looking to get out of the monastery for a bit. That might click something in his head.”

“Maybe we could go into town or something. I’m just nervous it’s going to start all this talk and I don’t need this pressure.”

“He’s the next king of Faerghus! Anyone he dates is going to cause talk!” Ingrid threw up her hands in exasperation. She calmed herself before continuing. “And besides, if someone starts saying shit we’ll handle it. It’ll give Felix a reason to get into a fight, and Sylvain is basically your older brother. The Blue Lions have your back.”

Emersyn silently nodded in agreement. Ingrid was right. There was nothing to worry about. The Blue Lions were essentially becoming one big family and they’d have her back… hopefully.

“Let’s head down to the dining hall for some dinner. On the way there we can discuss Ingrid’s plan of attack and come up with a cute date outfit for Emersyn!” Mercedes motioned towards the door. 

“Yes please. It’s getting stuffy in here,” Emersyn quickly replied, standing up from her bed. 

Annette laughed and gently pushed Emersyn towards the door. “You’re just hot because you’ve been blushing for the last half an hour. Let’s get you some water to cool down.”

“I wish it were alcohol,” Emersyn muttered. 

“I think I can convince Sylvain to sneak a glass or two from one of the ladies manning the kitchen,” Ingrid laughed, closing the door to Emersyn’s room behind her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I am excited to get back into this. I don't want to do many more chapters on the pre-time skip, so expect some jumps but written a lot better! I have so many ideas for post-time skip that i have a running list of ideas. ooh im excited to write again! Anyways, I think it is time to do the date chapter. It's been alluded to for chapters now and I think it's time! I love writing fluffy things.


	7. Solitude and Sweet Buns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There is comfort in two.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I hope you enjoy this chapter! It was cute and fun to write! 
> 
> I have come to a bit of a situation when writing this pre-timeskip story and would love feedback. 
> 
> I don't want to do a re-write of every single month, but I don't know if writing a flashback/skipping months would go with the flow. The next chapter is going to be dealing with the Remier Village situation with Dimitri, but I also want to do a bit of a flashback to the battle with Miklan. Maybe I'll make Remire village be post-battle so we can see Dimitri's façade slip. All I know is that pre-timeskip STOPS at chapter 10 and I don't know what to include. 
> 
> Like I said, feedback is greatly appreciated!!

As the month of the Verdant Rain Moon began, the monastery was slowly beginning to prepare itself for the upcoming autumn. Summer produce was ever so slowly creeping higher up in price, and the summer flowers were beginning to sell in less and less bundles. Emersyn didn’t mind. In fact, she preferred the cooler months of the year than the summer months. Less sweating, less humidity… less bugs. Emersyn was also excited to watch the trees in the forest below change colors as the autumn months progressed. However, there was still some time before that happened but that did not stop her from getting hopeful. 

For the most part her routine was about the same. Morning lectures and then training in the afternoon, mostly with Felix but sometimes with Dimitri if she wanted a change. A new change was that on Tuesday and Thursday evenings Byleth would tutor Emersyn on magic. Occasionally, Rhea would drift on by and sit in on these lessons and offer her own advice when the other two were stumped. Whenever she would stop by, it made Emersyn nervous. She did not want to be judged by the Archbishop, but it also felt equally nice that she was getting this much attention from her. 

She tried to not let it go to her head. 

Verdant Rain Moon was also the month that Ingrid seemed to have worked her magic, or at least jogged the Prince’s memory, and was a conversation Emersyn forgot she had with her. 

Every few months the Officer’s Academy gave the students an extra personal day. Some use this to return home while others sometimes treat it as a vacation. Regardless, every few months the monastery would be less crowded for an extra day. Verdant Rain Moon happened to be the month that this particular free day fell into. The night prior many of the students who held some nobility left for home -- including most of the Blue Lions. 

And Emersyn  _ relished _ in the quiet.

Sure, she could have gone with Sylvain and go see her parents. However, she was just overcoming her homesickness and she did not want to go through that again. Instead, she wandered about the monastery enjoying the peace and quiet and eventually nestled herself up against a tree to read a book in the shade. 

Lost in her own world, with her nose in her book, it was not surprising that she did not see the figure approaching her. 

“Well you seem to be enjoying the peace and quiet around the monastery,” the figure said. 

Slightly startled Emersyn looked up from her book to find Dimitri staring down at her with a small smile on his face. Returning a smile back, she closed her book with a dull  _ thud _ and proceeded to stand up. “You have no idea how nice it is to not have to listen to Felix and Sylvain argue back and forth for just one day. This is my own personal heaven,” she joked, smoothing her dress with her free hand. “I’m surprised you didn’t return back home as well.”

“There was nothing to return home for. Uncle is handling the affairs until graduation and then it’s my turn.”

“Ahh.. I get it,” Emersyn smirked. “You didn’t  _ want _ to go home.”

Dimitri was slightly taken aback at her comment. “What?! No. That’s not it at all!”

Unconvinced, Emersyn raised an eyebrow at him.

He let out a defeated sigh. “Alright, fine. You’re right I didn’t want to return back to the palace. I didn’t really want to go argue with my Uncle and return back here in a foul mood.”

“Thank the Goddess you didn’t. There is only room for one moody asshole and Felix has held that title for years now.”

“Emersyn!” He laughed in response. “You can’t say those things!”

“What?” She shrugged nonchalantly, “You know I’m right.”

“I’m not going to comment on that.”

“I’ll be taking your lack of comment as an agreement.” She walked past Dimitri and climbed up the few steps to her dorm room. 

“I swear everyone from House Gautier has an inclination for some form of mischief!” He jested. 

With an over dramatic gasp, Emersyn quickly turned from her door with a hand over her heart in shock. “The  _ nerve. _ ” Equally dramatic, Emersyn swung open her bedroom door and entered, shutting the door behind her. No more than ten seconds had passed before she opened the door and poked her head out looking slightly embarrassed. “I was not serious by the way. Just being dramatic for fun. Give me just a few seconds and I’ll be right out.” As she closed the door she could hear Dimitri’s laugh echo slightly throughout the corridor. 

Determined to not leave Dimitri waiting any longer, Emersyn quickly returned the book she was reading and put half of her hair up to get some of it off of her neck. Grabbing her satchel she used on the off days, Emersyn opened the door to find Dimitri leaning up against the bannister of the pathways looking absently about him. The noise from the door opening took him out of his thoughts and his attention was directed to Emersyn, smiling when he saw her. Butterflies in her stomach began to flutter, but she tried her hardest to not let it show. 

“So,” she began, talking as calmly as she could though she could feel her heart beating heavily in her chest, “What were your plans for on this lovely day?” She leaned against the bannister opposite of him, body facing the corridor. 

Dimitri brushed loose strands of hair from his face, a quirk that Emersyn noticed that he did whenever he was thinking. “I think… I might finally take a stroll through the town. My free days are numbered at this point.” He turned his attention down towards the first row dorms down the path, the expression he bore was as though the realities of his future obligations were setting in. 

Emersyn felt a bang of guilt. Though she anticipated her life working for the Royal Family would be busy, she knew that there would be times where she would be able to step away for a bit if she needed to. Dimitri, on the other hand, would not be as lucky. He could never  _ not _ be king. There was no one to rule after him -- at least not yet. He had to be on top of everything, always thinking about his work. The lives of thousands were in his hand and he could not mess it up. Though his uncle was ruling as a proxy, Dimitri did not have the guidance and knowledge as his father did, nor was there ever any real paternal figure for the last few years. He would be going into this blind, and Emersyn felt for him. Guilty that she could have a “normal” life in a sense, and this was not an option for him. 

Despite her thoughts racing with things to say, the only thing that she replied with was a defeated sounding voice: “Oh yeah.” 

Dimitri noticed the change in her voice and gave a comforting pat on her arm. “Don’t worry about it. It was inevitable.” With that he pushed himself upright from his lean on the bannister and gestured down the path. “Shall get going?” With a nod, Emersyn hopped from the top of the short stairs and walked beside Dimitri as they made their way down to the town below the monastery.

* * *

The town was bustling with people eagerly sellings their wares. Stalls of various items lined the main road -- some selling fresh pastries, knick knacks, or various other goods. Everyone was happy to see one another, and also eager to talk about their products. The hustle and bustle reminded Emersyn of her shopping trip just a few months earlier with the other girls of the Blue Lions. As they walked down the street, many of the townsfolk waved and said hello to Dimitri -- some more excited than others. In return, Dimitri returned every smile, wave, and hello with equal enthusiasm and grace.

Watching the interactions from the outside was interesting. Emersyn knew that during his childhood Dimitri must have had some form of etiquette training and how to address the public in a certain way, but as she watched him it was almost as if it were second nature -- nothing forced. From what she could tell the smiles were all genuine and kind and he seemed so happy to be in the presence of everyone -- almost like a king. 

Towards the middle of the town was when the townsfolk stopped coming up to greet the future king. Eventually it was just Dimitri and Emersyn wandering the town alone once again. Emersyn took the peace and somewhat quiet to venture to the stalls around her, with Dimitri close behind. Occasionally he would take peeks over her shoulder to see what she was gushing about, or would take her over to another stall to show her something he found interesting. 

“You know I could just… buy these for you right?” Dimitri asked. He was watching Emersyn eye the pastries in front of her. She quickly glanced over her shoulder at him to see if he was serious or not. Turning back to the stall she began to rummage through her bag to find her money purse. “No, no,” she said quickly, “I do not need you to fuel my sweet tooth.” She heard Dimitri chuckle behind her, and before she was able to get out her bag, Dimitri gave the vendor money for the sweets. 

The vendor handed him a bag filled with various sweets that Emersyn had been eyeing and he turned and began to walk down the street to the gates leading to the forest. Emersyn stood stunned for a moment, but quickly caught up to him. “Dimitri! You didn’t need to do that!” She protested, “I had my bag right in my hand.”

“Nonsense,” He chuckled. “It’s my treat. This is a date after all it would have been rude of me  _ not _ to pay.”

Emersyn’s mouth closed shut in a snap and she could feel her face burning red.  _ The Date.  _ Again, it has slipped her mind. She didn’t think this would be  _ the _ date, but then again she did not put two and two together. “I could have paid for the sweets, ya know,” she grumbled after a moment. 

“Next time, I promise.”

“Where are we going anyway?”

“There’s a little lake just off of the path in the forest. I saw it on my way back from the… excursion with Edelgard and Claude. It seemed pretty in the spring, but I bet it’s even nicer in the summer since everything is alive.”

Emersyn softly smiled. “I’m sure it’ll be just as pretty now.”

The lake itself was stunning. It was not very big compared to the other lakes she had seen across the country, but it was definitely big enough to be a lake. Against the sunlight the water reflected the rays as if it were a mirror. When Emersyn walked closer to the shore she could see that the water itself was crystal clear -- the brightly colored fishes could be seen swimming around at every depth. Though they did not venture too far off of the path, the surrounding trees provided a level of privacy while also enhancing the scenery. The noise from the town was already a distant buzz by the time they reached the path to the lake, and now it could not be heard at all. 

Again, Emersyn relished in this quiet. 

The nerves set in once again when the two sat next to each other on the bank of the lake. It was now apparent that Dimitri had used the attention from the townsfolk and the vendors to hide his own nerves, though he masked them quite well that Emersyn didn’t notice until it was just the two of them. He was much more fidgety; knee shaking in a similar way to what Emersyn does when she was nervous. The fact that he was as equally nervous provided a great relief for Emersyn to the point where her own nerves were all but non-existent. 

Leaning back onto her hands, Emersyn tilted her face upwards to the sun and took in the light and warmth of the late-summer sun. After a while the faint rustling of fabric of Dimitri bouncing his knee ceased to exist, and hopefully his nerves as well. The noise that brought Emersyn back to reality was the rustling of the bag that held the pastries. With one eye opened she watched as Dimitri carefully peered into the bag to see what the vendor had given them. Once he found what he wanted he carefully reached into the bag and pulled out a sweet bun. 

“You are going to share those, right?” She asked with a smirk. 

“Nooo,” he drew out the ‘o’, “I actually planned on eating this entire bag of sweet buns on my own.” He looked over at Emersyn and grinned. 

Jokingly, Emersyn rolled her eyes and scoffed and reached into the bag and pulled out a sweet bun for herself. It was sticky and sweet and stuck to the roof of her mouth. She silently cursed herself for not bringing a container of water with her — to combat the heat and to wash down her food. The two sat in a less awkward quiet than before, taking in each other’s company and the scenery around them. 

As the sun rose higher, so did the temperature, and with no clouds in sight it was getting hot  _ fast.  _ Emersyn could feel beads of sweat forming on her neck and on her forehead. Glancing over at Dimitri she could see his own forehead shining in the sunlight. 

“Why in the world are you wearing a  _ long sleeved  _ shirt in this heat?” She pointed to the sleeves of the shirt he was wearing. It was a deep, navy blue with the sleeves all the way down. 

Dimitri gave her a confused look and inspected his sleeves. “What? It’s cotton. I’ll be fine.” 

“You’re not going to be fine when you pass out from the heat. I can’t carry you back.” 

“Would you just leave me here then?”

“Uhh….yeah. I mean, I’d go find Dedue and make him carry you back, but I couldn’t drag you very far on my own.” 

Dimitri chuckled and shook his head and began messing with the cuffs of his sleeves. “If it eases your worry, I’ll roll up the sleeves.” 

Emersyn did not hear him as her focus was on her sandals and trying to maneuver them off of her feet. Once they were off she made her way down the shore and took a few steps into the lake so that the water was covering her ankles. It was colder than what she expected. The trees didn’t provide much shade to begin with, but perhaps the altitude of the lake affected its temperature? She didn’t know. All she cared about was that it felt refreshing. 

Slowly she began to wander farther into the lake, the water slowly climbing up to her mid calf, and once it made its way to her knees she held her dress slightly higher on her thighs to avoid getting the dress wet. Occasionally she would look back onto the shore to find Dimitri watching her. He looked rather interested in the fact that she was so amused by a body of water. 

She gestured him over to where she was in the water which he politely shook his head in response. 

“It’s not that bad!” She called over to him. She gave another wave towards the water. “Actually it feels really nice!” 

With a groan, Dimitri removed his own shoes and rolled his pant legs up higher onto his calf and slowly made his way into the lake. Emersyn heard his sharp inhale of breath when he first stepped into the water and an exaggerated exhale once he got used to the temperature and turned to see Dimitri had barely waded into the lake. Dipping her fingertips into the water, she flung droplets of water in his direction -- some hitting him on his shirt and arms. 

“See, I told you the water is fine!” Emersyn giggled. 

“It’s freezing,” Dimitri responded curtly. 

His snippy response seemed to only humor Emersyn more. As she made her way over the Prince she let her dress fall from his bundle in her hand, not caring if the ends became covered with water. However, underneath the sand was a thick root that she did not see and fell face first into the lake and landed on her hands and knees. Before she could process what had happened, Emersyn was being lifted up by her elbows out of the water. She looked up to meet Dimitri’s immensely concerned stare baring down onto her, and then looked down at her dress -- the skirt completely conforming to her body as it was drenched with water. The rest of her dress has wet from the splash back from when she fell. Emersyn looked back up to Dimitri, who was still firmly holding her in place, and then threw her head back and laughed… and laughed… and  _ laughed. _ Eventually Dimitri began to laugh as well and both of their laughs rang out across the lake and trees. 

“We should probably get you out of this water safely before you decide to take another accidental swim,” Dimitri joked, sounding slightly breathless from the laughing. With Emersyn’s nod of approval, and with Dimitri still holding onto her arms to keep her steady, the two carefully made their way back to the dry land. 

The two spent the remainder of the afternoon basking in the sun and trying to dry Emersyn’s dress as best as they could. They kept following the sun in the field so that there was maximum sunlight drying the dress, and every time they moved they would sit closer and closer each time. Eventually they were next to each other, leaning back on their hands, with Emersyn’s head resting lightly resting on Dimitri’s shoulder. During their period together they talked about themselves, each other, their friends, and anything that sparked an interest to them. The nerves both shared in the beginning were, quite literally, washed away.

* * *

It wasn’t until the light orange glow of the setting sun was shining through the treetops and onto the lake that they decided that it was time to return home. Dimitri was adamant on getting Emersyn back to her dorm room before nightfall so she wouldn’t catch a cold, though her dress was almost completely dry by the time they left. The walk through town was quieter than when they first made their venture through. Shops were closed and the lights of the homes were slowly being lit and the calls of mothers to their children to come to supper were heard ringing throughout their stroll. While the idea of having dinner was nice, the rest of the sweet buns were eaten over the course of the afternoon and the last thing Emersyn wanted to do was put more food into her stomach. 

The two quietly took in the sight of the lantern lit town and monastery and how the warm glow of the lanterns created a warm glow around them. Their day spent together had been fun and eventful, but the walk back was what was the most romantic. Emersyn felt something brush against her hand as they walked, but she did not look to see what it was. Spreading her fingers apart slightly, Dimitri’s own fingers intertwined lightly with her own. Had this happened earlier in the day, she would have freaked out and immediately pull away due to nerves, but now it was easier. 

Much to either of their displeasure, they reached her dorm room much quicker than they anticipated. 

And the nerves immediately returned and Emersyn’s thoughts began to race and as usual they were obscenely overdramatic.  _ What was going to happen? Were they going to kiss? Was this the only date? Did that fall in the water make her uninteresting?  _ He wouldn’t have held her hand if he wasn’t interested, and  _ she  _ knew that, but her brain didn’t. She also wondered what was going on in Dimitri’s head. He was much better at hiding his emotions than she was; Emersyn thought she looked like a startled deer and standing like a fool on the steps of her dorm room. 

But there they stood under a combination of lantern and moon light staring at each other. She saw that Dimitri wore a permagrin on his face, and she could feel her own lips turn up into a smile as well. 

It was Dimitri who broke the silence first. “Thank you for coming with me into town today and keeping me company by the lake. This was a very lovely day.”

“Thank you for rescuing me from such deep water…. And also not judging me for eating most of the sweet buns.” 

With a swing of his arms, Dimitri bowed dramatically. “That is what I am here for.” 

Emersyn laughed and rolled her eyes and began to make her way towards the door to her room. She had opened the door slightly before Dimitri called out to her. 

“If it’s all the same to you, I…. uh, would love to do this again.” 

“It’s a date,” Emersyn smiled in response. A triumphant grin came across Dimitri’s face as he began to make his way down the path to where his own room was located. Laughing to herself, Emerysn opened her dorm room completely and entered. 

A short while later there was a knock at Emersyn’s door. Having already changed from her dress from the day and into her night clothes, she threw on one of her robes and opened the door to find Dimitri standing there with hands behind his back. At first she wasn’t able to tell who it was, but once the light of her room illuminated his face she was much more relaxed. 

“Sorry, I know it’s late, but I wanted to give these to you.” He held out a small bundle of peonies to her. “Some months ago Dedue had mentioned in passing that you two had a conversation about flowers and what you’re favorite were. Then I remembered how much my step-mother loved the bouquets my father got her from time to time and I kicked myself when I realized that it was too late for the peonies to bloom. However, I remembered the ones in the greenhouse. Unfortunately the ones in your hand are the last peonies until the next spring so I hope that’s oka---”

Emersyn cut off his rambling with a quick, soft kiss. 

Both were equally stunned. Dimitri was not expecting the kiss, and Emersyn couldn’t believe she had the guts to do it. He stared at her in disbelief for a while before Emersyn realized she needed to say something. 

“You, uhh… really ramble when you’re nervous,” She managed to get out. “I guess that’s a common trait we share.” It was as if what she said did not reach his ears because he did not move, nor did his expression change. Emersyn began to worry if she should have even done that to begin with. It was completely out of character for her, and normally she wouldn’t be so forceful about that stuff, but he was just going on, and on, and on. 

“I wish I had the guts to have done that the night we spent at the library,” he quietly said after a moment. He took a step closer to her, closing the gap between them once more. “Or earlier today for that matter.” Emersyn could feel the heat on her cheeks burning and she knew that there was no way to hide it anymore. 

Before Emersyn was able to respond, he captured her in a kiss of his own. It was deeper than the peck she had given him, but felt just as soft and single hand lightly cupped her cheek. She could still taste the slight sweetness of the syrup of the sweet buns on his lips. As much as she wanted to stay in this kiss, Dimitri eventually pulled away and the same permagrin from earlier in the evening made its way onto his lips. Before moving his hand from her face, he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. 

“You sure are something else, Emersyn Gautier,” Dimitri said quietly. Emersyn could hear her heartbeat in her chest, and the butterflies in her stomach were fluttering like a storm eager to get out. From the flowers, to the kiss, to cheek hold, and for some reason saying her name? It was getting a bit overwhelming for Emersyn to handle, but it seemed as though Dimitri himself could sense it. “Have a good evening.” Dimitri finished his sentence with a quick peck on the cheek and quickly shut the door behind him, leaving Emersyn standing in the middle of her room with a small bouquet of peonies in her hand. 


	8. To Not Be Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eventually the strongest walls crumble a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this.... became a bit more dark/meaningful than I had intended but I honestly like it this way. I hope you guys enjoy!!
> 
> 03/03/2021 Edit: I didn't like the last line so I changed it a bit! Attempting to show that things are on the decline!

Staring down a demonic beast was enough to cause nightmares for people. In fact, it did. What made this demonic beast worse was that it was created from the body of Miklan Gautier — the elder brother of Sylvain and another cousin of Emersyn. His desire for power and revenge led him to madness, and he was willing to slay the remaining family he had left to make a point. Though he lacked a crest of his own, Miklan attempted to wield the power Hero’s Relic that he stole from House Gautier — the Lance of Ruin. A distraught Emersyn and Sylvain had to watch in horror as the lance unleashed a dark, malevolent energy and turned the older Gautier into the beast due to his lack of crest.

This was nothing anyone in the Blue Lions was prepared to fight. 

The climb up to the top of the small palace that Miklan hid in proved to be difficult for some of the students. While bumps and bruises and scrapes were common, some took much more serious injuries. Armored thieves were able to get a few slashes into Felix and Ashe, mostly due from the surprise attack from behind. Emersyn, however, took a smash of the hilt of a sword to the head, and when she lost consciousness, her head split open from the impact on the rough cobblestone floor. 

Though the dried blood from her head wound prevented her from opening her right eye, Emersyn was standing and ready to fight, despite being supported by Ingrid a little bit. 

“What are we going to do?” Ashe asked. His voice was trembling slightly as he tightly gripped his bow. 

“We have to kill that thing,” Felix replied as he tightened the bandages on his arm. 

Slyvain, who was near the front and closest to Miklan, quickly turned around and glared at Felix. “We can’t. That is my brother!” He spoke quietly, but the anger could be felt as he spoke. 

“The same brother that left you on a mountain? The same brother that pushed you into a well?  _ That _ brother?” Felix spat back. Sylvain’s full attention was on Felix at that point. He was ready to pounce and strike Felix, his hand tightly gripping his lance. 

Byleth placed her sword between the two to keep one from lunging at the other. “This is not the time to be arguing,” she said calmly, “Felix is right, unfortunately. We do not have the power to turn your brother back, if that is even possible.” She looked between them and both did not meet her gaze -- Sylvain hung his head in defeat while Felix turned his attention elsewhere. 

The beast gave a threatening roar, drawing the attention of the group back to it. Its stance had changed, ready to attack at what moved first as its eyes scanned the group slowly. No one dared to make eye contact with it in fear of setting it off even more, but they were running out of time. They couldn’t leave, not that the beast let them to begin with, nor could they stay there forever. 

Things needed to happen  _ fast. _

“This is ridiculous,” Emersyn muttered to herself. She wiggled out of Ingrid’s support and began to slowly stagger up to where Sylvain was. The head wound caused some imbalance to her, and out of pure stubbornness she swatted away any helping hand as she made her way by. 

“I don’t feel like dying here today, Sylvain,” she stated, “But you have to make your choice. Either we defeat your brother and save others, or we perish and who knows what happens afterwards.” He turned to look at her; a brief flash of anger was noticed, but quickly went away when he saw just how much Emersyn, and everyone else, was beaten up due to his brother. 

A different type of roar came from the beast, but this time it sounded like it was trying to talk in its own way. Sylvain had a glimmer of hope in his eyes, but that quickly went away when he realized that the beast, his brother, was eyeing Emersyn. 

_ “W...it..ch.”  _

_ “W...it...ch.” _

Emersyn stood frozen in place. Either her head wound was much more serious than she thought and that she was hearing things, or that the beast was calling her a  _ witch. _ The accusation sparked something deep within her, an anger that she herself did not know she harbored. With her hand hovering over her sword, she began to slowly walk away from Sylvain and towards the beast. 

“What are you doing?” Sylvain hissed fiercely, dumbfounded that she was moving  _ towards _ the beast especially in her condition. However, he could notice the sudden change in her. Her eyes were narrow and full of an anger that Sylvain had never seen from her before and the elegant gait had changed to that of a prowl -- an animal on a hunt. 

She stopped in her tracks and turned her head slightly to look back at him. “I’m doing  _ something. _ Not just standing here.” Her eyes moved from Sylvain and quickly glanced across the rest of her peers before turning back to Miklan. 

“She’s got a point,” she heard Felix say from behind her. From the way the metal of his armor moved, she could tell he was making his way towards the front. “I don’t feel like dying here either.” From the corner of her eye she could see Felix standing beside her, sword grasped in his hand and ready to go.

“It can’t hurt all of us if we charge at once,” Felix noted. 

“Unless it decides to use that tail of his,” Dimitri retorted, taking position to the left of Emersyn with Dedue flanking behind him. He looked over at Emersyn from the corner of his eye. “Got any ideas?”

“Just one,” she replied, not taking her eyes off the beast. “It’s not great, but it’s the only feasible one… and I hope the Professor approves.”

Emersyn’s plan consisted of two waves of attacks -- one to distract and one to do the heavy hitting. They would have to be quick with their attacks to avoid as few injuries as possible. Ranged attackers would begin their attacks once the first wave went in and cease when the second wave came in with the heavy hits. It wasn’t the most ideal plan, but that was all that they could do -- though they all silently hoped that Byleth and her new Sword of the Creator would get this battle over quickly. 

The first sequence went brilliantly. Though it was hard to tell, the Blue Lions were able to notice that the beast was significantly injured. However, it was on the defensive and much,  _ much _ more angry than before. 

The second sequence was when things took a turn for the worst. 

Emersyn was in the first wave of the plan. She was quick on her feet despite her change in demeanor and was able to get in and out of many tight situations. With the beast on the defensive its method of attack was the lash out more to keep the students at bay. Though it was attacking anyone who came near it, its main target was still Emersyn. 

The feint attack was what got her. 

Emersyn dodged the false swipe towards her, but was pinned down by the second hit. When her body hit the ground the wind was knocked from her, but the crushing weight of the claw on her chest made it hard for her to catch her breath. Her sword was thrown out of reach -- leaving her defenseless and facing the open jaws of the beast. When the beast shifted its weight, Emersyn swore she felt a rib or two crack. 

She could hear the cries from the others, but they sounded much further away. The roaring of blood mostly filled her ears, and eventually the edges of her sight were slowly becoming black. Emersyn could only watch as the beast lifted her slightly into the air and then slam her body down into the hard ground.

Everything went black.

* * *

Emersyn’s eyes shot open, her heart racing and dull ache from her head. Instinctively she reached for the pain only to find the still-fresh scar from the impact of the hilt of a sword underneath her fingertips.

_ Another nightmare. _

The same nightmare that had been haunting her for months now. Her mind forcing her to re-live Miklan’s death and his attempt to kill her, an attempt in which he nearly succeeded at, and she didn’t know why. The next thing she remembered was waking up to see an incredibly blurry sunset sky above her, feeling the shaking of a carriage beneath her, and a hand carefully running themselves through the ends of her hair. After that she regained full consciousness in the infirmary of the monastery surrounded by the Blue Lions and….

_ Her parents. _

At their request, and with the blessing of the Archbishop, Emersyn returned home for a month and a half to recover. It was a long month and a half. She healed and studied and made sure to write to her friends and keep them updated. Somehow she managed to convince her parents to let her return to the monastery early, promising to only attend lectures and not physical combat training for another week. 

That was how she ended up in a room that was not her own; in a bed that did not belong to her. It was a dorm room of the monastery -- clean and tidy with a slight warm, musky smell -- and illuminated by a few candles glowing in holders on the wall. After her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, Emersyn saw a figure hunched over a desk scribbling furiously on a piece of paper.

_ Dimitri _ .

This was  _ his _ room. 

Slowly the pieces were coming together. She had arrived back at the monastery early that morning, attended the lectures she could, spent time with her classmates, and retired to Dimitri’s room in the evening for a more quiet study space. At some point she must have fallen asleep, but she didn’t think she was that tired. However, her body was still healing so it may have been more exhausted than she initially thought.

Emersyn quietly got up from the bed, moving slowly to avoid getting light headed, and made her way over the Prince who was engrossed in his work. She could feel his shoulders tense slightly as she slowly wrapped her arms around him from behind and rested her head on his shoulder, but loosen as soon as he realized that it was her. He leaned his head back into the crook of her shoulder, placing a light kiss on the spot on her cheek he could reach. 

“So much for studying together,” Emersyn said, her voice was slightly hoarse as she was still waking up. She could feel the warmth of Dimitri’s breath on her face as he chuckled in response and he placed another kiss on her cheek. 

Dimitri gestured to his desk. “I don’t know what you mean. I have been getting plenty of work done.” Emersyn recognized the assignment that they were given earlier that day laying on the desk and noticed that it was almost completed though it wasn’t due until midweek. She groaned and lightly pinched the skin on Dimitri’s, which he playfully swatted away, and straightened herself up. Looking outside the window, Emersyn noticed that it was nighttime. 

“How long was I asleep for?” She asked, stretching her arms to loosen the stiff muscles. 

Dimitri turned in his chair to face her. “A while. You missed dinner and evening tea. I should have woken you, but looked peaceful sleeping.” 

Emersyn sighed heavily and laid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “It was anything but peaceful,” she muttered. The bed moved slightly as Dimitri leaned on the bed next to her. He didn’t say anything, only absently played with the sections of hair that were sprawled behind Emersyn’s head. 

Dimitri didn’t press any further as he knew what her dream was. She has described it to him in one of the letters she sent when she was home. A nightmare that never seemed to leave one alone was something he knew all too well. It was a vice grip on a person's entire being — exhausting in all sense of the word. Despite having been seeing one another for a few months it was still hard to open up to her, though he desperately wanted to. Emersyn suggested writing his thoughts out, not just for long distance but if thoughts were too hard to put to words.

And that’s exactly what he did. 

He wrote a watered down version about his own experiences with grief and burdens in confidence in those letters. Losing his family; the pressure of the impending ascension to power; the disconnect between himself and his friends. He wrote it all out. Dimitri felt almost….peaceful when confiding in Emersyn. Not just about the trauma he had faced, but even “normal” things. The moments spent around her allowed his own thoughts, the voices, really, to subside for some time. It was selfish of him to put that much pressure on her, though she wasn’t aware of it herself, but he did it anyway. 

When she was injured and gone for the month, the voices and thoughts had returned. His chronic headaches had returned and he was much more on edge than he was previously -- all coming to a boiling point at the fighting at Remire Village. The mask that he had been wearing for almost five years had slipped -- showing a more  _ monstrous _ side that he tried to keep tucked away for as long as he could. He had thanked the gods that Emersyn wasn’t there, but he knew that it was only a matter of time before Felix or someone else pulled her aside to talk about it. 

That part angered him the most. 

Placing thoughts into someone’s head about another. If that were to happen he prayed that Emersyn wouldn’t think anything less of him, or distance herself from him. 

_ No. She wouldn’t do that. _

That wasn’t her. She cared too much to turn her back on him, or anyone for that matter. But the thought didn’t stray too far away. 

“Do they ever stop?” Emersyn asked after some time, her voice barely above a whisper. She could feel Dimitri freeze and tense up, but she didn’t look over at him. Instead her eyes darted across the ceiling above her to keep her occupied. She felt guilty for even asking the question, selfish even. Feeling as though she had no right to complain about her own familial trauma because Dimitri’s situation was so much  _ worse. _

In her peripheral vision, Emersyn saw Dimitri fully lay himself onto the bed. She felt his arm reach over her stomach and pull her in close so that they were lying chest to chest. The warm, musky smell was much stronger now, but at the same time it was comforting. His arm laid up her back and his hand and fingers were intertwined in her hair as he rested his cheek on her head. 

“No,” he said quietly, “they don’t.”

Emersyn sighed into his chest and draped her arm across his waist. She could feel her throat tighten and her eyes began to sting, but she was not going to let herself cry. Dimitri tightened his embrace over her when he heard her breathing become more uneven. “They don’t stop,” he continued, “but it does get easier and they become less terrifying.”

Her breath caught and she felt the tears begin to fall, soaking in Dimitri’s evening shirt. He held her there and comforted her as her cries turned into sobs. He didn’t like when other people cried, and he surely didn’t like when the person he cared about was crying either. There was no way to fix this, and that's what hurt the most. 

“I feel… so… guilty,” she said between her sobs. 

“What for?” Dimitri murmured into her hair. 

“For being… upset.”

It felt like a knife was twisting in Dimitri’s heart. He brought his hand down and cupped her face and moved it so that she was looking up at him. Her eyes were red and cheeks streaked with tears. She looked absolutely  _ miserable _ . 

He felt another stab to the heart.

He looked directly into her eyes. “Do not think for one second that what you’re feeling isn’t worth being upset over; that it isn’t worth crying over. I know that what I went through was traumatizing, but do not think what you’re going through is anything less. You are allowed to feel hurt and upset and afraid. Do not hold it in and let it boil. Do not be like... _ me _ ”

Tears formed in Emersyn’s eyes once more, pooling on the tips of Dimitri’s fingers before falling down the rest of her face. He embraced her once more as she continued to sob, fighting back the tears he had in his own eyes. She continued to cry for a while, but eventually it subsided and her breathing returned to normal. Dimitri thought she had fallen asleep until he heard her speak. 

“Please keep fighting, Dimitri,” she said softly, “I don’t want to lose you, too.” She fell asleep shortly after, only noticeable by the light snoring, leaving Dimitri alone with his thoughts as he was caught off guard by her statement. Even when she was experiencing her own grief and trauma she was still more concerned about others. He hoped that he would be able to keep that promise, but he he knew he was straying too far away already.

**Author's Note:**

> How did this go?? Please leave suggestions and thoughts in the comments below!!! Ive taken some time off with writing and after finishing Three Houses I have really had this desire to write a fic about it! I am always open for suggestions. I will try to update when I can!!


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